UNDERGRADUATE NEWS
“ WITH THE HELP OF COACH HARBAUGH, HE PUT ME ON A SCHOLARSHIP AND PETITIONED THE NCAA TO ENABLE ME TO PLAY IN MY JUNIOR YEAR. SO, IT IS THE SUPPORT THAT HE GAVE ME PERSONALLY THAT FILLS ME WITH GRATITUDE FOR HIM.”
coaches and, if you notice, I think we probably were one of the most spiritual teams that were in the NCAA. We kept our faith and kept God first. That’s what I liked about our team. Our head coach, Jim Har- baugh, was more spiritually in tune this season. I think really it’s all God. That kind sums up our season. Cole: Let me ask you about playing under Coach Harbaugh. Brother Nichols, what was it like playing for Coach Harbaugh? Nichols: It was surreal. I remember watching Coach Harbaugh coaching the San Francisco 49ers and he went to Super Bowl with his brother (John Harbaugh). Fast forward six or seven years later and you’re playing under him, it was it’s a shock. You have to stay ready. Knowing that he has that NFL experience, know- ing that you just have to trust and buy into what he has as the program that he’s about to put you through, just have to trust and believe what he has how he has a program set. Soak it all up. Be patient. And when he gives you the opportunity, take full advantage of it. Harris: Coach Harbaugh is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. You wouldn’t
– Keshaun J. Harris
really understand it until you’re around him to appreciate what kind of guy he is. I had a situation when I first came to Michigan, where I was being recruited for track and field as well; I took the official visit for track and field before I did football. That’s an NCAA violation because due to a situation that happened with the Miami Hurricanes where they were recruiting track athletes to play on the football team. I had to sit out two years, my freshman and junior year. With the help of Coach Harbaugh, he put me on a scholarship and petitioned the NCAA to enable me to play in my junior year. So, it is the support that he gave me personally that fills me with gratitude for him. I thank him for that specific situation and just allowing
me to be on this team. He’s a real stand-up guy.
the end of my sophomore year or the beginning of my junior year. Nichols: It’s difficult. My high school coach, Coach Drake, prepared me. He encouraged us to stay on top of our grades. He made the team keep at least a 2.5 GPA. I have always had above a 3.0 GPA. But you have to stay disciplined and understand that it’s a goal. You can’t play football if you don’t have the grades. So you have to make sure you’re on top of everything. ♦
McMikle: That’s’ awesome. You mentioned some of the support that he’s provided and sometimes people don’t understand the life of a college athlete and the need for those support structures for you guys because college sports on a Division I level is a full- time job. You have to find that balance in order to be successful. How have you been able to kind of balance between student life and athletic life? You’re putting in well more than 40 hours a week just on the athletic thing, so how do you find the balance there? Harris: Yes, it’s difficult. It kind of took me a while, especially when I first came to school. I don’t think I really adjusted until maybe
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16 THE JOURNAL ♦ WINTER 2023-2024
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