Throughout his life, Damien Harris has been all about business.
From working his tail off to be a five-star in high school to becoming a fan favorite at the University of Alabama, the Kentucky native is more substance than sizzle.
He may not spark representatives of the National Football League with eye-popping moves; however, his knowledge of his position in the sport and overall productivity speaks for itself.
RELATED: Damien Harris to snatch headlines in on-field workouts at NFL Combine
After getting his measurements of 5’10” and 216 pounds, Harris went to work on Friday — turning in strong numbers in his workout at the NFL Combine inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Damien Harris’ workout results
40-yard dash: 4.57s (official)
Vert: 37”
Broad: 10’1”
BP: 16 reps (225 lbs.)
He recorded unofficial times of 4.49 seconds and 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash, while clocking his official mark at 4.57 seconds. Harris raised eye brows, when he posted a vertical jump of 37 inches. The ambassador of Alabama football landed in the top five of this year’s running backs class (fourth) with that feat and his broad jump of 10’1” put him at No. 8.
4.58u – @DHx34 ?♂️
?: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork #OutworkYesterday | #RollTide pic.twitter.com/0eJEbmeUxh— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) March 1, 2019
Regardless of him not being exceptionally fast, Harris doesn’t play around when it comes to decisively hitting holes. His vision and cutback abilities navigate him to collecting either chunk yards or tough yards.
In discussing him on the field, multiple commentators at the event kept comparing Harris to former Tide standout and 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram.
Ingram, who ran the 40 at 4.53 seconds in the 2011 Combine, was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (No. 28 overall) to the New Orleans Saints.
When it came to his skillset at receiver, Harris showcased his talents in route running, catching passes, and even hurdling as he maintained his balance after jumping over a cameraman.
Beware of hurdling RBs at the #NFLCombine ?@DHx34 getting up!
?: 2019 NFL Combine Day 1 | Live on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/3BQQX631kQ
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 1, 2019
With his counterpart and former teammate – Josh Jacobs – saving himself for Alabama’s Pro Day, Harris created a lot of value this week.
He is known for being an intelligent speaker (so the interviews went well), but it was also great to watch him display himself as a complete back.
During his career with the Crimson Tide, he was eighth all-time in rushing with 3,070 yards and tallied 23 touchdowns. Harris was 124 yards shy of being the first rusher in school history to have three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He amassed 876 yards rushing in 2018 with nine touchdowns and helped Alabama win a Southeastern Conference championship.
He was a two-time College Football Playoff national champion with the Tide.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
