Desmond Harrison: From Contra Costa College to replacing a Hall of Famer with the Cleveland Browns
(Former Contra Costa College All-America lineman Desmond Harrison has seen his travels take him to the University of Texas and the University of West Georgia before landing him in Cleveland where he is the starting left tackle after going undrafted.)
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
BEREA, Ohio - The Browns are replacing legendary left tackle Joe Thomas, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and future Hall of Famer who played all 10,363 snaps of his career, with an undrafted rookie.
“He’s a little overrated, huh?” left guard Joel Bitonio joked about his good buddy Thomas early this week.
The Browns hope they will have the last laugh about their decision to start Desmond Harrison at left tackle Sunday in their regular-season opener at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Hue Jackson announced the move Friday and said Bitonio will slide back to left guard, where he’s started the past four seasons.
“I’m replacing Joe, so I know how big it is,” said Harrison, 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds.
It’s natural for the decision to be met with skepticism because Harrison was never a starter in major college football and entered training camp July 26 injured and buried on the depth chart behind Shon Coleman, who was traded last week to the San Francisco 49ers for a seventh-round draft selection, Greg Robinson and rookie Austin Corbett, a second-round pick (No. 33 overall).
After Coleman failed to satisfy the coaches as the first-team left tackle, Jackson switched Bitonio from left guard to left tackle on Aug. 1, the sixth day of camp. Corbett stepped in at left guard. The Browns used the Bitonio-Corbett combination on the left side of the offensive line throughout the preseason until they began working Harrison into the mix last week. He’ll become the first undrafted rookie to start a game at left tackle for the Browns since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
“He’s the best left tackle for us to play right now,” Jackson said. “Obviously, Joel is the best left guard. We feel like we’re heading in the right direction by far. I agonized over this decision because it’s a huge decision. At the same time, I have confidence in our coaches and in the player. He has worked hard. He wants this opportunity. He has demonstrated that.”
Bitonio praised Harrison’s talent but said the mental side of the game will be the biggest key to his success.
“We’re just trying to make sure we’re on the same page and he knows what we’re doing on every play,” Bitonio said.
Harrison’s path to the NFL included more twists and turns than a soap opera.
He committed to Auburn but didn’t qualify academically, so he began his career at Contra Costa Community College in San Pablo, Calif., and played two seasons (2011-12) there before transferring to Texas. He played as a backup tackle in seven games with the Longhorns in 2013 but missed the entire 2014 season after being suspended twice for reportedly failing multiple drug tests.