Argos RB Harris hopes to 'get BMO Field rocking' at home opener

Toronto Argonauts running back Andrew Harris joined First Up on TSN1050 Toronto on Friday to talk about the progress of new starting quarterback Chad Kelly, his relationship with teammate A.J. Ouellette and more.

Harris, 36, is set to kick off his second season with the Argos after spending his first 12 with the BC Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In eight games with Toronto last year, Harris rushed 114 times for 490 yards, and caught 23 passes for 180 yards.

The Winnipeg native missed 11 games due to a torn pectoral muscle last season, including the Argos' first playoff game. He returned to score a touchdown against the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division final, and helped lead the Argos to a Grey Cup victory over the Blue Bombers.

That victory featured some late-game heroics off the bench from quarterback Chad Kelly, who was forced to take over after McLeod Bethel-Thompson left with an injury. Kelly enters this season as the Argos' starter for the first time in his career, and Harris is excited about his outlook for the year.

"One thing I love about Chad is he's the ultimate competitor, he definitely has all the tools physically," said Harris. 

"I think ultimately he is going to have a great season, he's put all the work in off the field, mentally, physically," he added. 

Kelly, 29, is the nephew of former Buffalo Bills QB and NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly. He was named First-team All-SEC with Ole Miss in 2015, and earned Sugar Bowl MVP honours in his final year with the team. 

"Chad comes from a great pedigree, obviously from his family and where he played in college," said Harris. "That guy wants to win, he wants to compete, and he brings a certain attitude, a certain fire that I haven't seen from a lot of quarterbacks, especially a young guy."

Harris, who has indicated that this will be his final season in the CFL, is embracing the veteran role with the team, especially when it comes to helping Kelly succeed. 

"Being the veteran in the room, my job is just keeping him in line, making sure he's even-keeled, not getting too high or too low," he said.

That role expands to other spots in the roster beyond the quarterback - Harris said he is excited to help Ouellette take a more commanding role as the lead RB for the Argos this season too.

"For me right now, I'm complimenting A.J., it's A.J.'s backfield," said Harris. "I knew coming in this year, the way he played when I was injured and throughout the playoffs, they wanted to bring me in more as a leadership role, and to help groom the younger guys."

Ouellette finished last season with 98 carries for 516 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. 

"The way he's trained this offseason, and his mentality, he's going to have a monster year - I'm just looking forward to being a part of that and complimenting that and helping to make impact plays whenever I get a chance to get in there as well," Harris said.

As for expectations in what may be his final season in the league, Harris is not looking too far ahead. The Argonauts were Grey Cup champions in 2022, but finished the regular season as the fourth-best team in the league at 11-7. 

"Every week we're just trying to go 1-0 so that's the goal and that's the focus and we hope to have a big crowd," he said. "We gotta get BMO Field rocking, start out strong, and hopefully carry that through the rest of the summer."