TEMPE, Ariz. — Round 8 a.m. on a Monday, about 16 hours after he had 130 yards and two touchdowns in his second NFL recreation, Arizona Cardinals rookie extensive receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was again on the observe subject catching balls off the Jugs machine.
One after the other, the balls hummed off the wheels and shot into Harrison’s fingers. A few half-hour later, he had caught about 200.
That Monday wasn’t an anomaly. It does not matter what occurred the day, week or, even, month earlier than. To Harrison, who received within the off-day exercise with fellow receiver Michael Wilson, it was the primary day of a weeklong routine that has change into as a lot part of Harrison as his 6-foot-4 body, nice fingers and Corridor of Fame lineage.
The tales of Harrison’s work ethic turned the stuff of lore lengthy earlier than his title was referred to as because the No. 4 decide in April’s NFL draft. Nothing has modified since he joined the Cardinals. Harrison catches about 200 balls earlier than observe Monday, Tuesday and Saturday and after observe on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
That is along with the hours of labor he places in on his physique — recovering, lifting and getting therapy — the playbook and his craft. Committing to the method and being constant by placing within the work that received him to the NFL has produced 28 catches for 445 yards and 5 touchdowns by means of 9 video games.
However Harrison’s rookie season has been a curler coaster. He adopted one catch on three targets in his NFL debut with 130 yards and two touchdowns — all within the first quarter — in Week 2. Nevertheless, he did not have greater than 64 yards in a recreation once more till Week 8 in opposition to the Miami Dolphins, when he completed with 111 yards and a landing.
“I simply need to achieve success,” Harrison informed ESPN. “I need to be nice so unhealthy. I need to assist my staff so unhealthy, and I am simply at all times going to place my finest foot ahead for the staff, and I believe that is actually simply the place it comes from: simply go on the market, have enjoyable.”
IN MAY, AROUND the time Harrison began attending rookie practices on the Cardinals’ facility, a member of the staff’s diet division walked as much as left sort out Paris Johnson Jr., Harrison’s former Ohio State teammate, with a message.
“Hey, your boy Marv,” Johnson was informed, “he already beat you.”
Johnson had been on the facility day by day, displaying up 90 minutes earlier than conferences day by day. However Harrison did not simply beat Johnson to the ability. He received there early sufficient to catch 200 balls and eat breakfast — earlier than Johnson even parked his automobile.
“To do this as a rookie may be very commendable,” Johnson mentioned.
Johnson has seen this all earlier than. Ask any of Harrison’s teammates from his three seasons at Ohio State, the place the receiver had 155 catches for two,613 yards and 31 TDs.
Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Matthew Jones, who was at Ohio State from 2018 to 2023, remembers days when Harrison was on the Jugs machine within the Buckeyes’ indoor facility at 5:15 earlier than 6 a.m. conferences.
“Him and that Jugs machine is like finest associates,” Jones mentioned.
Mondays have been the least rigorous days for Harrison in school, Buffalo Payments receiver Xavier Johnson mentioned. The work began Tuesday and lasted till Friday. Harrison can be on the sector by 7 a.m., catching between 200 and 300 balls earlier than conferences, therapy, class and observe.
After observe, Harrison would go upstairs to eat and get within the chilly tub earlier than returning to Ohio State’s indoor facility, Xavier Johnson mentioned. He’d catch one other 300 balls till 10 p.m., bringing his whole to round 600-700 catches most days.
Harrison’s routine and work ethic have been identified across the Woody Hayes Athletic Heart. By the top of the 2022 season, Denver Broncos defensive again and former teammate Tanner McAllister remembered there being seven different receivers becoming a member of the pass-catching periods.
Atlanta Falcons defensive finish Zach Harrison, who performed at Ohio State with Harrison in 2021 and 2022, recalled one night time he and a few teammates went again to the Buckeyes’ facility round 9:30 to work on restoration. They have been within the scorching tub after they heard the sound of the Jugs machine. Once they opened the door to the sector, there was Harrison, headphones on, catching ball after ball.
“That dude’s finna be a monster,” Zach Harrison mentioned.
And that is the way it has at all times been with Harrison.
“Marv’s been a grinder since we have been in highschool,” mentioned Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who performed with Harrison at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, the place Harrison caught 144 profession passes, setting Philadelphia Catholic League data with 2,625 yards and 37 touchdowns. “All of the tales that got here out in school about him being after observe, working late at night time on the Jugs machine, catching balls, he was the identical manner in school and similar manner in highschool.”
Harrison had a Jugs machine at residence in highschool, St. Joseph’s college teammate Malik Cooper mentioned, and would roll it outdoors and catch between 100 and 200 balls a day.
It wasn’t uncommon for Harrison, Cooper and different teammates to spend weekends taking part in video video games at Harrison’s, after which get on the machine for marathon catching periods. They’d every catch 100 balls at a time and rotate, with Harrison going first, till sundown. Typically they’d slot in a exercise in Harrison’s basement or play basketball.
After his soccer video games, Harrison would watch the movie along with his dad, Corridor of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., breaking down his efficiency and studying the nuances of the sport.
Cooper, who was Harrison Jr.’s quarterback for a season, remembered him staying residence as a substitute of going out along with his associates some weekends to get in additional work — a preview of how he operated in school.
“He was simply at all times discovering methods to get higher and never simply taking psychological reps, [finding] methods throughout observe that he might harness some bodily expertise, too,” mentioned Ryne Morrison, Harrison’s receivers coach in highschool.
He “turned the nook” his junior 12 months, Morrison mentioned, determining easy methods to handle his time higher, method every day and get additional work in. Then Harrison turned a leader for his teammates, Morrison mentioned.
“I am fairly certain that there is no one within the state that would guard Marv in any respect,” Cooper mentioned.
FROM THE DAY Harrison arrived in Arizona, he has approached his job with depth.
“Simply instantly took this job prefer it’s an important factor in his life,” fellow Cardinals extensive receiver Andre Baccellia mentioned. “Movie room, on his iPad on a regular basis, within the assembly room, simply seeing he is at all times tapped into the plan on his iPad, taking a look at stuff, watching tape.
“I am 5 years in, so I’ve seen rookies are available in, and simply the extent of seriousness and a focus to element that he is on, it is subsequent stage.”
Broad receivers coach Drew Terrell seen Harrison’s professionalism throughout the pre-draft course of, and that professionalism carried over by means of OTAs into the common season. It hasn’t wavered.
Whereas it’d take some gamers years to provide you with a routine, Harrison got here into this season prepared along with his, Terrell mentioned. Former Cardinals receiver and free agent Chris Moore, who’s in his ninth season, mentioned that’s “very uncommon.”
Many NFL receivers catch 25 or 30 passes per day. Harrison’s teammates have not heard of anybody catching tons of of additional passes per day. When receiver Greg Dortch thinks about it, he worries about put on and tear.
“He most likely ought to ice up after as a result of his fingers are going to be sore,” Dortch mentioned.
Harrison does not have a hand-care routine, he mentioned, simply tape to arrange a pair of calloused fingers which have caught hundreds of balls. It has led to numerous jammed fingers and surgical procedure on his proper thumb, Harrison informed ESPN.
Nevertheless, there are areas of his routine that are not as regimented as others.
Harrison does not observe a strict weight-reduction plan, have a private chef or deliver his meals from residence. Coach Jonathan Gannon not too long ago requested Harrison what he ate, and the receiver responded actually: 5 Guys.
Nevertheless, Harrison has discovered a restoration routine that works for him. He isn’t a fan of the chilly tub however will sit within the scorching tub. He opts for therapeutic massage weapons over precise massages and makes use of air-compression leg sleeves that give him a “restorative therapeutic massage” to assist relieve ache and refresh his legs faster after video games and practices.
“Simply watching him work is actually an honor, to be right here and watch him see how he does it simply because it’s totally different,” Moore mentioned. “To be on the market, to have already got these values instilled in him as a rookie and stuff, and no one has to inform him what to do, he is simply on the market doing his job. … It is actually loopy.'”
IN THE HUSTLE and bustle of a post-practice locker room, Harrison’s chair was empty. Whereas the opposite Cardinals took off their pads and altered out of their observe gear, Harrison was on the sector catching balls off the Jugs machine.
“It is simply who he’s,” quarterback Kyler Murray mentioned. “It is not a shock. That is regular.”
Harrison purchased a tennis ball machine for his residence in Arizona to get extra catches in. He was additionally launched to taking part in catch with a rugby ball earlier than observe as a option to open his fingers earlier than it is time to begin catching footballs, that are smaller. At Ohio State, Harrison used a basketball.
“The tales are all carrying over,” Terrell mentioned. “He is at all times fascinated with methods to enhance.”
Paris Johnson mentioned Harrison’s life is soccer.
“Marvin’s very low-key,” Johnson mentioned. “He does not have to be out in all places with all of the motion. So his motion is what he preps, however relating to being round socially, he is across the guys. He does not have to be out with simply anyone, that is not his leisure, what entertains him is being round his shut associates, his lady, his household, the ability.”
Between the time Harrison was drafted and began practising two weeks later, he and Gannon had a dialog about Harrison’s famend work ethic. Gannon knew Harrison put within the work and needed to ensure his prime decide was cautious about it.
“If we spaced out what number of reps and the quantity of workload he will get, after which he goes and runs 100 routes on the weekend, he is perhaps dragging at the moment,” Gannon mentioned throughout the summer time. “Now, he does not drag, however I am simply speaking about, I really like additional work, however you have to be sensible about it. You have to have a routine about what you are doing.”
What modified essentially the most for Harrison going from Ohio State to the NFL is the construction of his days. His time is extra regimented as a result of he has conferences, observe and therapy. He needed to forgo a few of his early-morning Jugs periods in favor of his different obligations.
Seven weeks into the season, Harrison has discovered a routine of which Gannon approves. Gannon needed that form of consistency, so Harrison would have a baseline if some a part of his weekly method wasn’t working.
“He is beginning to determine that out a little bit bit,” Gannon mentioned in September. “And it takes time.”
Final week, Gannon mentioned he anticipated Harrison to have a studying curve, however Harrison has been “1,000 %” coachable and attentive to the slight changes that coaches have been making to his recreation.
They’ve needed to deal with his stride size, which is longer than the opposite receivers and generally causes Harrison to seek out himself deeper in his routes than anticipated within the Cardinals’ rhythm-and-timing-based offense. They’ve additionally labored with Harrison on getting his eyes to the place Murray needs them.
“He acts like a 10-year vet,” Gannon mentioned. “And I really like the place it comes from. It comes from a spot of him wanting to assist the staff first, after which, secondly, is ‘I need to enhance my recreation.'”
Even earlier than the season began, Harrison was placing “a ton of stress” on himself, Terrell mentioned.
Throughout one early coaching camp observe, Harrison began speaking Terrell’s ear off earlier than a walk-through, asking him query after query.
“Like, ‘Hey, did you see this route on tape? What’d you assume? However did you see this? Ought to I’ve carried out this with my launch on tape?'” Terrell remembered. “And, it is like, ‘Dude, like, settle down. Relax. Sure, I’ve seen all of it. This is how we’ll right it.’
“However he needs to be excellent.”
Marc Raimondi, Jeff Legwold, Daniel Oyefusi, Marcel Louis-Jacques, Alaina Getzenberg, Paul Gutierrez and Tim McManus contributed to this story.
