Player of the Week: Sydney Thibodaux
June 10, 2015
Omaha Bound: LSU baseball punches ticket to CWS
June 10, 2015
Houma native Justen Harris has been busy making big decisions in recent weeks.
The first? Football or basketball? A two-sport standout athlete and recent graduate of Ellender Memorial High School, Harris said he’s been receiving collegiate interest in both sports from an array of colleges around the country.
The next? Finding the right fit. Harris said he had several opportunities, but didn’t want to go just anywhere. He said he wanted a place that felt like home – a place where he could play for coaches and teammates who felt like family.
In the end, Harris chose football and Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas.
Harris announced this week that he’d signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his playing career for the NAIA college that competes in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Harris said he chose Tabor, despite fielding interest from Southern, Nicholls and other programs in the Southeast. In the end, he said the trek to Kansas is something he’s always wanted – a chance to finally call himself a college-bound athlete.
“It’s a dream come true,” Harris said. “Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be on a college team – no matter what level that team was on. It’s truly a blessing from above to be in the position to say that I’m going to play football at Tabor College.”
For Harris, the signing is the last act in a prep career that’s been filled with successes.
On the gridiron, Harris used his 5-foot, 10-inch, 173-pound frame to push past defenders as both a halfback and slot receiver in the Patriots’ offense.
Harris scored seven total touchdowns as a senior (five rushing, two receiving) and combined for almost 700 yards as a runner and receiver on less than 100 total touches for a Patriots team that went 3-7 last fall.
Patriots coach Terry Washington said Harris was a dangerous player for opponents to prepare for because of his versatility. During an interview at spring football practices, the coach said that replacing Harris will be no easy feat.
“He was a guy who could do a lot of things with the football,” Washington said. “We used him as a ball carrier, as a receiver, as a special teams player and even on defense. I think that he’s one of those players who you feel confident with in a lot of different situations. He’s a very good athlete.”
Harris said he’s academically qualified and could have gone to any program on his list, but he chose Tabor after talking with the coaches and deeming the program as the right fit.
Tabor College is also the future home of Houma Christian standout athlete John Broussard, who signed with the program earlier this spring. The Blue Jays posted a 7-4 record in the 2014 season.
Harris also had interest on the basketball hardwood, where he was a multi-year standout – dating back first to the beginning of his career at Vandebilt and ending at Ellender, where he was a contributor for the past two seasons. Harris was a started on the Patriots’ dominant squad that reached the second round of the Class 4A State Playoffs in 2014-15.
“He’s a good playmaker,” Patriots coach Cornell Scott said during his team’s run. “With [Harris] and some of our other players being seniors, you know that you have good, strong leadership. He’s one of those guys that brings us that.”
Harris said he found Tabor College through Coach Aaron Butler, who sent his highlight tape to the Kansas-based school. From there, the two sparked an instant connection.
“Coach Aaron Butler is a hard-working coach that can make a lot of things happen for people,” Harris said. “He blew wind of my name to Tabor, they saw my tape and from there, they’ve loved me ever since.”
So now, Harris said his main focus is on getting himself ready to enjoy some freshman success. The standout said he plans to work hard throughout the summer to get his body ready for the physicality of the collegiate game.
Harris said he’s itching to play for Tabor’s high-powered offense, which routinely scores lots of points against overmatched opponents. He acknowledged that Kansas is pretty far away and it’ll be odd to play away from friends and family.
But Harris said he’s not going to shy away from the challenge, touting that he’ll be ready when next season arrives.
“I live for the hype,” Harris said. “I want to make myself known. But more importantly, I just can’t keep thanking God and all of my coaches, my parents and my teammates and everyone else that has ever been there for me.”
Ellender Memorial High School standout athlete Justen Harris poses with his teammates after signing a scholarship with Tabor College in Kansas. Harris will be playing collegiate football after a decorated two-sport high school run.
