Jonathan Harris – March 18, 2024
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Monday, March 18, 2024
DT Jonathan Harris
(What are your thoughts on signing with the Dolphins, and what do you think you can bring to the team, and how you fit into what looks like a defensive line rotation?) – “I’m very excited to be here. I’m blessed to have this opportunity and I’m just ready to compete. I know it’s a new defensive staff, and I’ve talked to Coach Weaver (Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver), and I like his mindset and the culture that they want to bring here. I want to contribute to that anyway that I can.”
(What was your impression of the Dolphins offense when you were here at Hard Rock Stadium last September?) – “Explosive. They exposed a lot of weaknesses in our defense. But after that, we figured out a lot of things and kind of went on a streak ourselves. I guess thank the Dolphins for exposing us.”
(The big question in these parts is how are the Dolphins going to replace DT Christian Wilkins? It’s going to be by committee is my guess. It’s not going to be one person to do it. Have they told you, this is what your role is going to be, this is what we’re going to need from you, from what we got from Wilkins?) – “Not necessarily. Obviously Christian Wilkins is a great player and is a hard guy to replace no matter who you bring in. We just have to figure out the guys we have here, and everyone has to be an expert in their role, and we figure out who our d-line is now with the people we have here now.”
(Last year, DT Christian Wilkins and DT Zach Sieler played an incredible amount of snaps. They were on the field all the time. Is it your guess that it might be by more of committee type of deal, with a rotation in keeping guys fresh?) – “It could be. It’s still early. I’m sure we’ll figure that out as we go. There are a lot of talented guys here, so I’m sure they’re going to want to see us all on the field.”
(As far as your journey in the NFL right now. I know you had some shortcomings and some high and low points. Can you touch on the journey and things that you used in your past experiences to help make your decision to sign with the Miami Dolphins?) – “I’ve been blessed to be in the NFL this long. For most of my career, I’ve been on practice squad, elevated, and just looking for opportunities to play. Last year, I got the opportunity to play in all 17 games. I feel like I still have a lot of potential, but I’m also entering the prime of my career. I’m blessed to be here and hoping that I can see that untapped potential here.”
(Who would you say you model your game after coming up?) – “I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a person, but I admire greatness. So anyone that has had success in this league, and there have been a lot of guys at my position. Just watching those guys, learning from them, just studying their mentality. I learn from a lot of guys.”
(This team has a lot of free agents, and guys who are going to be new faces, especially on the defense. You’ve changed teams before. We kind of accept it as yeah, that’s just part of life. I know it is for a professional athlete. But how difficult is it? You’re probably going through a whirlwind today meeting new coaches, you’re meeting us, you have anxiety in the offseason. When do you finally settle in with your new team? Just tell me some of the challenges with that process.) – “It’s challenging relocating. But honestly, the people here have made me feel welcome, and I’ve felt comfortable throughout this entire process. Obviously moving down here is going to be another challenge, but it’ll be alright. We’ve got the entire offseason to figure all of that out. I’m just excited to be here.”
(When you went from Chicago to Denver, I know it was different circumstances than here because you hadn’t played as much and everything like that. But how long before you got comfortable in Denver? Weeks? Months?) – “It didn’t take too long. Maybe a few weeks. I was claimed off practice squad, and I wasn’t playing when I got there. I had the time to meet the guys, and the coaches, and get familiar with the area.”
(I’d like to ask about your path to the NFL. Lindenwood was your first stop. Not a lot of players in the NFL are from Lindenwood. Tell me how you wound up there, and why are you one of the survivors who made it this far in the NFL?) – “Coming out of high school, I was very undersized. I’ve always had the height, but I was maybe 220 pounds. I went to Lindenwood, redshirted my first year there, kept developing both technique-wise, and size-wise every year. I ended up having a great four-year career there and got an opportunity to play in the NFL.”
(At what point did you start to believe that the NFL was a possibility for you?) – “Probably around my junior or senior year. I had coaches who told me that if I dedicated myself, I’d have an opportunity. I did that and was blessed to be where I’m at today.”
(Do you have any ties to anyone on the Dolphins, either player or coach?) – “I played with (Bradley) Chubb in Denver before he was traded here. Then I know Alec (Ingold) from combine training. We trained together. But as far as coaches, I don’t really know many other people.”
(Is it cool to be reunited with LB Bradley Chubb?) – “Yeah. Great leader, great player. I’m happy to be back on the field with him.”
(Is he the type of guy who took the young guys under his wings when you were with the Broncos together?) – “Yeah, 100 percent.”
