NFL
Harris learns from the best in San Francisco

By Rick Eymer
Special to The Seattle Times

STEPHEN DUNN / GETTY IMAGES Celebrations like this recovered fumble for a touchdown were rare last season for Kwame Harris, who struggled to adapt to the NFL.

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Kwame Harris stumbled his way through a mistake-filled rookie NFL season as the game seemed to race by him at an accelerated pace. He thought he was ready. He discovered otherwise.

"It was like being a freshman in college all over again," Harris said. "I was ready to quit football then. My rookie year here I felt like I didn't belong."

So Harris, the San Francisco 49ers' 6-foot-7, 310-pound left tackle, did something about it. He studied game tapes of players he admired, he listened to his coaches, and he spent 10 days over the summer with the legendary Jackie Slater, the Hall of Fame offensive lineman who set the standard after playing in 259 games over 20 years with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams.

In Slater, Harris found a kindred spirit.

"It was life-changing in terms of football," Harris said. "I look at myself last year, and from my current perspective it's hard to identity that person as me. He taught me how to approach the game, and what it takes to win. My time at Stanford was awesome, but when I left we didn't have the best record. I forgot how to win. He taught me that consistency and maintaining a high level will take you there."

Still, winning may not be easy this season for the 49ers. Expectations are low, but having Harris excel at left tackle could help the team beat expectations.

Slater, 50, retains his passion for the game, and went so far as to put on pads and demonstrate on Harris. Slater gives up three inches, 30 pounds and 28 years, but it didn't stop him from giving Harris some pointers.

"He helped me with my pass blocking techniques and showed me that I can't allow myself to get below that bar I set for myself," Harris said.

The 49ers thought enough of Harris to make him their first round pick in the 2003 draft. He passed up his senior year at Stanford to declare for the NFL. By the end of his rookie year, he was starting in place of the injured veteran Derrick Deese.

Harris showed enough over the last part of the season that the 49ers allowed Deese to leave after the season, confident that Harris was their man at left tackle. Deese has since moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
 
Harris was on the right side with Stanford, and the move to the other side caused some problems last year, though not enough to keep him out of the lineup.

"He's still a young guy and has to learn from experience," 49ers line coach Gregg Smith said. "He loves to work, and he loves to compete. He's tireless about trying to make himself better."

Another 49ers lineman who has moved from right to left is Harris' former Stanford teammate, Eric Heitmann. He was picked in the seventh round by the 49ers in 2002.

Heitmann has moved from right guard in college to left guard in the pros. Both Heitmann and Harris are accomplished musicians, and both play the piano. Heitmann composes his music and Harris was a music major in college.

They could turn the 49ers' locker room into a concert hall during the week, then slam bodies side-by-side on the weekend.

Harris, who also played violin in his high-school orchestra, will play a key role in protecting quarterback Tim Rattay's blind side this season.

"Knowing the game better, knowing what to expect from practice, and being comfortable with the speed of the game," Harris said of the difference between his first and second NFL training camp. "The speed of the game is the most unbelievable. I was able to make the adjustment and slow it down. Instead of going at 30,000 RPM and being in overdrive, I feel like I can relax and that I can set the pace."

While watching game films of other players, Harris noticed they all had a similar stance and were consistent in setting up.

"Mine seemed different every time," Harris said. "So I started working on that."

Smith always felt Harris' strength was run blocking, and that he needed to become more consistent in his pass set. That became Harris' priority as he sought advice.

"You can see the difference," Smith said. "He'll be doing it correctly, and keep doing it correctly, but then maybe he'll revert to an old style. That's the consistency part of it. He is everything you'd want to see in a left tackle in the NFL. Will he be one of the best? I believe he will, but he still has to show up every Sunday."

Harris believes he can reach that consistency and understands it's a matter of being patient.

"I felt like I was back on my heels all the time last year," Harris said. "But you don't get the experience until you go out and do it. Sure, I went through growing pains. Everybody goes through growing pains here. This is what I wanted to do: play football. I realized I'm here because there are people who believe in me. I love it here and I'm happy here."