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Q+A With Duke Football: Andre Harris
12/15/2022 10:00:00 AM | Football
DURHAM – The Voice of the Blue Devils, David Shumate, sat down with graduate student Andre Harris for a brief question and answer session.
DS: You were so excited to get the opportunity to play Power 5 football at the start of the season. How has the reality of it been compared to the expectations of it all?
AH: I think it was everything I thought it was and then some. It has been a great experience and I am glad I made the decision to come here. Winning makes everything fun. Even our losses were in games that I thought we did not truly lose. All the games we lost were games where we beat ourselves. I feel like we have had a great season and we want to finish strong and get a bowl championship and get some good momentum going into next season, because Coach [Mike] Elko is building something special for sure.
DS: It is interesting hearing you talk about building the momentum heading into next season. This group has been laying the foundation for the future all season, how does the bowl game play into that?
AH: It is just all part of the process. We all wanted to build this thing to the standard. Once we got bowl eligible and our goal of six wins, we talked about how we weren't stopping at six. So now we go to the bowl game and win, that is just the standard for how it is supposed to be from here on out. It is just cool to be a part of Coach Elko's first recruiting class and to do it his first year here.
DS: You have your actual family, but you also have your football family. You're going to be spending the holidays with your football family this season, so what are some of the holiday traditions that you like?
AH: Honestly there are so many things because December is just all around the best month. You know my birthday is on the 1st and then I've got 24 days until Jesus' birthday. It is just every day about trying to enjoy it one day at a time. I am used to being at bowl games during Christmas time, so that became more of a tradition and being with my team and building that brotherhood. It is a bond because these years fly by and the memories I have built with teammates on Christmas are the memories you won't forget.
DS: December birthdays can be tricky. I am a December birthday as well, so do you get the combined celebration, or do you get both?
AH: Happy birthday! For me it is more like a double dip. You get the first of the month and I know I am going to get my presents from my whole family. My family is kind of split, so I get to celebrate with my dad's side and then my mom's side. Then a couple weeks later, Christmas. You can't beat it at all.
DS: We get to go spend the time in Washington, D.C. this holiday, what is your favorite holiday meal?
AH: Wow. I am just so big on anything. For me it is really hard to choose a favorite. I like honey ham, I love dressing sauce, that is kind of a thanksgiving thing, but I think it carries over to Christmas. I don't know that is a tough question. Cookies and milk are always good. My parents always used to stick out the cookies and milk for Santa and they would take a bite. What I would do is just eat the rest of the cookies and Santa would have no cookies to come in there and get.
#GoDuke
DS: You were so excited to get the opportunity to play Power 5 football at the start of the season. How has the reality of it been compared to the expectations of it all?
AH: I think it was everything I thought it was and then some. It has been a great experience and I am glad I made the decision to come here. Winning makes everything fun. Even our losses were in games that I thought we did not truly lose. All the games we lost were games where we beat ourselves. I feel like we have had a great season and we want to finish strong and get a bowl championship and get some good momentum going into next season, because Coach [Mike] Elko is building something special for sure.
DS: It is interesting hearing you talk about building the momentum heading into next season. This group has been laying the foundation for the future all season, how does the bowl game play into that?
AH: It is just all part of the process. We all wanted to build this thing to the standard. Once we got bowl eligible and our goal of six wins, we talked about how we weren't stopping at six. So now we go to the bowl game and win, that is just the standard for how it is supposed to be from here on out. It is just cool to be a part of Coach Elko's first recruiting class and to do it his first year here.
DS: You have your actual family, but you also have your football family. You're going to be spending the holidays with your football family this season, so what are some of the holiday traditions that you like?
AH: Honestly there are so many things because December is just all around the best month. You know my birthday is on the 1st and then I've got 24 days until Jesus' birthday. It is just every day about trying to enjoy it one day at a time. I am used to being at bowl games during Christmas time, so that became more of a tradition and being with my team and building that brotherhood. It is a bond because these years fly by and the memories I have built with teammates on Christmas are the memories you won't forget.
DS: December birthdays can be tricky. I am a December birthday as well, so do you get the combined celebration, or do you get both?
AH: Happy birthday! For me it is more like a double dip. You get the first of the month and I know I am going to get my presents from my whole family. My family is kind of split, so I get to celebrate with my dad's side and then my mom's side. Then a couple weeks later, Christmas. You can't beat it at all.
DS: We get to go spend the time in Washington, D.C. this holiday, what is your favorite holiday meal?
AH: Wow. I am just so big on anything. For me it is really hard to choose a favorite. I like honey ham, I love dressing sauce, that is kind of a thanksgiving thing, but I think it carries over to Christmas. I don't know that is a tough question. Cookies and milk are always good. My parents always used to stick out the cookies and milk for Santa and they would take a bite. What I would do is just eat the rest of the cookies and Santa would have no cookies to come in there and get.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
OL
/ FootballNFL Combine: Brian Parker II
Saturday, February 28
NFL Combine: Chandler Rivers
Thursday, February 26
NFL Combine: Vincent Anthony Jr.
Wednesday, February 25
NFL Combine: Wesley Williams
Wednesday, February 25
