N’Keal Harry once made headlines for shattering a backboard while going up for a dunk in a high school basketball game his senior year at Chandler High. Harry is hoping to do similar damage to Arizona State receiving record books before his Sun Devil career ends.
“Going above expectations,” is what Harry shared that he hopes to accomplish in 2017. “I would love to have 1,000 plus yards and 80 or 90 plus catches.”
While these are lofty goals for any wide receiver to have, especially a sophomore, Sun Devil fans would not be surprised to see Harry reach them.
As a true freshman, Harry amassed over 700 yards of offense including five touchdowns. His 58 receptions are an ASU freshman record, which was previously held by tight end Zach Miller.
It’s not crazy to think that Harry would have posted significantly better numbers with healthier and more consistent offensive line and quarterback play.
However, the 6’4, 220 Chandler High product still earned freshman All- American honors while also garnering All-Conference Honor’s as a true freshman.
“I pride myself in being the last guy in the weight room,” said Harry on Wednesday.
A scary proposition for the usual undersized defensive back that is trying to cover the wide receiver.
Like other top wide receivers, Harry wants to be the guy that his team can count on to make the big plays.
“I want to be that reliable guy that whenever we are down or in tough situations, coach looks at me and knows that’s the guy we can go to,” Harry said.
One could argue that he has already filled that role. Harry produced his best games against the stiffest competition, as he had over 100 yards receiving against Washington and Utah, two stout defensive units.
Given Harry’s size and God-given physical abilities, one has to wonder who he compares himself to. When asked, the answer came easily for Harry.
“I try to make myself similar to Calvin Johnson,” said Harry. “He is a big physical guy, I really think I can be that caliber of a player.”
Despite all the accolades, success, and NFL potential, Harry continues to stay grounded and he attributes this to his grandmother.
“It’s never been hard. If I ever even thought about being big-headed my grandma would shut it down real quick,” said Harry.
If it weren’t his grandmother keeping him humble, the star wide receiver would not have to look far to find someone else that also plans to keep him grounded.
New offensive coordinator Billy Napier shared his thoughts on his sophomore receiver. “There’s room for improvement, there is room for maturity,” said Napier. “What you would see from a typical rookie. We need to establish the intangible part of the game and I think he would be the first guy to tell you that.”
It’s safe to say that Napier knows a thing or two about developing elite wide receivers. In his time as the wide receiver’s coach at Alabama, Napier helped groom All-American wide receiver Amari Cooper and All-SEC wideouts Calvin Ridley and Ardarius Stewart.
Napier’s father-like approach makes sense. But make no mistake about it, Napier sees the exceptional talent Harry has and he is excited to play a key role in the development of the wide receiver.
“N’Keal is obviously an extremely capable player with tremendous potential,” said Napier. “He made plays, he impacted the game (as a freshman).”
Harry adores his grandmother and respects coach Napier and knows he can count on fellow wide receivers Ryan Newsome and John Humphrey to help him develop on and off the field.
“They are natural leaders, even as transfers they weren’t scared to speak their mind, Harry said. “They are always the type of guys that will pick you up in a situation that you shouldn’t be in. Having guys like that really elevates everybody.”
While Harry hopes to break records at Arizona State and lead the Sun Devils to national prominence, he also has some bigger goals in mind, as he is motivated to provide for his grandmother, mother and the rest of his family
When Harry was 4 years old his grandmother moved him from the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent to the Phoenix area. N’Keal hasn’t seen his mother in years, as she still lives in St. Vincent.
“It’s hard to get visas, plane tickets and all that,” Harry explained.
Nonetheless, the support nearby from his grandmother has been significant in his upbringing as he matured into the person he is today.
“She is my biggest supporter and she always been,” Harry said of his grandmother. “Back home she was already retired. She didn’t have to work, but she wanted a better life for me. She had to work a night shift and seeing how hard she worked made me motivated to give her everything.
“I just want to be able to provide for my family. Hopefully, in the next couple years, I will be in the NFL and I will be able to bring them all up.”
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