On or off the field, Marvin Harrison Sr. couldn’t be prouder of his son

TEMPE — Seeing your son reach new heights as a football player can do a lot for a father’s pride, especially if that parent is Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr.

But in his dad’s eyes, Marvin Harrison Jr. has impressed well beyond the gridiron.

“I’ve been proud of him even before football,” Harrison Sr. said Friday. “I think the most important thing is we all have kids and you want them to be the best they can be whether they’re on the field or off.”

A lot of Harrison Jr.’s work ethic and determination comes from his father, both through life lessons and by example.

The same could be said for the NFL environment that Harrison Jr. was exposed to at a very young age.

He got the blueprint early on and has run with it since, with his dad right there by his side.

“Just how to be a professional, how to prepare week in and week out and just the consistency you have to have throughout the whole season,” Harrison Jr. said on what he picked up from roaming the Indianapolis Colts training facility.

That kind of experience on top of his dad’s knowledge of the NFL and everything that goes into being a top tier wideout, already has Harrison Jr. much more prepared to hit the ground running compared to some of the other wide receiver prospects this draft class.

Under the tutelage of his father and camp, Harrison Jr. decided to skip both NFL Draft Combine workouts and Ohio State’s pro day. He instead opted to recharge and focus on the season ahead knowing the beast that is Year 1 in the NFL.

As Harrison Jr. put it, it’s all about avoiding that rookie wall at all costs.

“I think the rookie wall is pretty popular,” Harrison Jr. said. “Once rookies hit December, they usually start to fade off because of the long season that they’re not used to.

“Hopefully come December and January and then hopefully playoff time, I’ll be playing my best football because I got the rest I needed.”

And while he’s out doing that, his dad will be right there every step of the way.

“I haven’t (thought about watching him play) but it’s going to be an exciting time for not only myself but everyone in the country,” Harrison Sr. said. “The day that we got here, you could feel the energy in the building that everyone’s happy that’s he a part of the Arizona Cardinals.”

“The same way I see him it’s almost like the same but bigger version of myself,” the older Harrison added. “He’s very good off the line. He’s very explosive and he runs extremely good routes. He does a lot of things that I can’t do, like make those big, contested catches. He’s going to be a fun guy to watch around here.”

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