N'Keal Harry is primed for a huge season at Arizona State, and likely an early exit into the 2019 NFL Draft. As a sophomore, Harry hauled in 82 receptions for 1,142 yards and 8 touchdowns, and has found himself on the 2018 Maxwell, Biletnikoff and Hornung Award preseason watch lists.

Perhaps more important than the on-field hype and accolades is the fact that N'Keal Harry has made it to a place where he can be considered more than just a star player, but a dependable team leader. The latter, as Harry will tell you himself, was never a sure thing, and is still a work in progress, but it's progress he's shown a willingness to make.

On a chilly day in late February 2015, N'Keal Harry went out to a Rivals camp in Las Vegas and had a chance to perform in front of National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell. It didn't take much time for Farrell to make up his mind that Harry is exactly what a Five Star should look like. He won the camp wide receiver MVP award, and earned an invite to the Five-Star challenge in Baltimore.

With a strong performance in Baltimore amongst the class of 2016's most elite players, Harry cemented himself as the #1 WR prospect in the country. In November 2015, Harry made a decision to stay close to home and play football in front of the grandmother who raised him. His decision was a reflection of his innate desire to do right by those closest to him, a desire that has sometimes fallen at odds with the the trappings of a hype surrounding his athleticism that has been a constant in his life since his days winning a national flag football championship in 8th grade.

Felna Harry, N'keal's grandmother, who brought him to Arizona from Saint Vincent and raised him largely on her own, remains a central figure in his motivation to be successful both on and off the field.

"I thank my grandmother every day for getting me to the point I'm at now," said Harry at Pac-12 Media Day, where he was selected along with quarterback Manny Wilkins to be a representative of his team. "Just how much I've grown, it's really unbelievable to be honest."

N'Keal Harry's upbringing doesn't have the typical familial structure that provides many others with a solid foundation and footing for success. He knows that in order to persevere, he'll have to overcome obstacles- some of which have at times been self-imposed. But N'Keal Harry also knows that he's not the only person in his family situation overcoming obstacles- Felna has made plenty of sacrifices to make sure N'Keal has what he needs in order to be successful.

"It's definitely been tough for me. There's a lot of days where I questioned if I was going to make it, if I was going to live up to expectations," said Harry. "In those days my grandma would really help me out. Even if I didn't talk to her directly, I would think back on everything she struggled with. I would think to myself if this woman could retire back home, come to the United States and start working all over again just for me, then why can't I sacrifice, why can't I change as a person, why cant I become better?"

If you're thinking to yourself, Why is this guy so hard on himself? I've never heard of N'Keal Harry getting in any serious trouble? Are we talking about the same soft-spoken, always smiling, last to leave the field so all the kids wearing maroon and gold can get an autograph and a selfie N'Keal Harry? That's completely fair perspective. "Serious trouble" has never been N'Keal Harry's Achilles heel- but before coming to Arizona State, and at times since, Harry has either struggled to maintain his competitive edge in all areas of the student-athlete experience, or let an abundance of a competitive edge get the best of him.

In N'Keal Harry's first high school game at Chandler after transferring from Marcos de Niza, he was ejected for scuffling with a defensive back. Academic issues caused him to miss playoff games in both football and basketball as a senior. In his final game under Chandler coach Shaun Aguano while playing for the U.S. National Team, he let a defensive back from Team Canada (that he had already scored twice on in the first quarter) get under his skin, and was ejected for throwing a punch. Harry has also faced consequences at ASU, most notably spending a majority of Arizona State's game in Corvallis against Oregon State watching from the sidelines.

N'Keal Harry doesn't shy away from acknowledging previous shortcomings, and is quick to point out that when it comes to areas where he may struggle, it's thinking of Felna that keeps him motivated to stay on the right path.

"She's in those stands watching me. I truly realize now that if I act out, everybody's going to turn their head straight to my grandmother, just because I'm her kid. I wouldn't want to do anything to embarrass her. I know I've embarrassed her in the past, and I've learned form my mistakes. I want to make sure that doesn't ever happen again."

N'Keal Harry said he's thankful for the grace shown by others when he doesn't measure up to his own standards, as well as appreciative to those that have given him the room to see the difference between the benefits of doing things the right way, and the consequences of doing things the wrong way.

"There's been times where I'm doing things that weren't going to get me to where I am, and that weren't going to get me to the NFL. But it's mostly the little things in my life- stupid things like time management and maintaining my composure. If somebody's going to say something to get under my skin, why would I let it get under my skin if they're just going to win in the end?"

The right habits will definitely help N'Keal Harry get to the NFL, and be a success once he's there, but it's the way the right habits mold who he is off the field that are important to Felna.

"I'm not going to say my grandma doesn't care about football, but it's not what's most important to her. She wants me to become a great man, a great father and a great husband. The number one goal on my list is to make my grandma proud, and to represent my family in a positive way."

"To be standing here right now, with everything that has happened to me, I'm extremely blessed. With that being said, I know how much work I have to do. I know in order to keep going in the direction that I'm going, it's going to take something extra. It's going to take me being different. I feel like if I keep my faith, and I keep being humble, I should have no problem fulfilling the expectations that are bestowed upon me."