kelly Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 -- Say hello to the new "Big Snacks," who said goodbye to his old snacks. Nose tackle Damon Harrison, who earned the nickname three years ago when he made the New York Jets' roster as a small-school free agent with big dreams and a bigger appetite, reported to training camp with a leaner-than-ever body and a powerful belief in himself. He trimmed four percent of his body fat in the offseason, thanks to a strict diet that meant no late-night goodies. Instead of indulging in his favorite snack, squirting canned American cheese on a Ritz cracker, he opted for fruit and water."Grocery shopping, we didn't have any snacks for the past few months," he said during a break at camp. "Even my kids suffered; they didn't get a chance to have any snacks."Harrison's transformation has been fun to watch. In 2012, he was an overweight rookie with unusual skill for a big man, but he was relegated to the bench, a quiet kid who learned by watching the veterans. His confidence has grown immensely. The big man is talking big, refusing to back down from a recent statement. In mid-July, he told NFL.com he's "the best nose tackle in football." The Jets' Damon Harrison isn't shy about saying he's "the best nose tackle in football." Reminded of that comment, Harrison smiled."It's a pretty bold statement, right?" he said. "But I do [believe it], I really do. I'm not saying it to be boastful or bragging -- I'm not trying to draw attention away from the team -- but I don't get up in the morning to consider myself top-5 or No. 2 or No. 3. I've put in the work. That's why I'm able to be confident in saying that. I'm not taking anything away from any nose tackle in the league, but I've been working my butt off."It's no accident that, with Harrison in a starting position for 2013 and 2014, the Jets finished third and fifth in rushing yards allowed, respectively. He clogs rushing lanes more effectively than mid-day construction crews jam traffic at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Opponents averaged only 3.11 yards per rush with Big Snacks in the game, 3.81 when he was on the sideline, according to the NFL. The .70 differential was the highest among the Jets' starters last season.But after last season, Harrison felt he needed to get better. Preparing for a contract year, his first chance to make a big score, he committed himself to changing his lifestyle and re-shaping his body. His fiance created a diet that included a lot of chicken, salmon and vegetables. He worked out like a mad man and reported to camp at 334 pounds. He didn't drop a significant amount of weight, per se, but you're talking about a man who once flirted with the 400-mark. There's no shortage of financial motivation. After three years of minimum salaries, Harrison will make a nice wage this season -- $2.4 million, the amount of his restricted tender -- but he will be one of the most attractive unrestricted free agents next March. The top nose tackles earn at least $4 million annually, so Big Snacks is in line for a big raise. The Jets have talked to his agents to discuss a potential deal.Money, Harrison claimed, isn't what drives him."I could get a $500 million contract and I still wouldn't feel comfortable," he said. "That's just me. The moment you get comfortable, you get complacent and lazy. That's not in my DNA."Former Jets great Wayne Chrebet, perhaps the most famous undrafted free agent in team history, always said the same thing. It's the underdog mentality; it never leaves you.Harrison never will forget the final cuts his rookie year. He was "terrified" to walk into the locker room because he feared getting cut. He didn't want to be seen by The Turk -- aka the Grim Reaper, the person who breaks the bad news to players by telling them to bring their playbook to the coach.A humorous postscript: Harrison has maintained a long-running joke with the Jets' staffer that handles that duty. When he sees him on cut-down day, Harrison will say, "Sorry, I don't have my playbook. Harrison, 26, doesn't want to go anywhere. He wants to finish his career with the team that signed him out of William Penn University, an NAIA school in Iowa. But he also understands it's a business. His linemate, Muhammad Wilkerson, also is entering the final year of his contact. Can the Jets pay them both? It's a fair question.Clearly, Harrison believes he's at the top of his profession. The feel-good, Cinderella story, no longer intimidated by his surroundings, has grown into a big-time talent."I didn't have the confidence a couple of years ago," he said. "I didn't have the résumé. I didn't have the film. If it's not out there on film, you're just blowing hot air. I feel like I've put together a pretty good résumé to this point." The gee whiz is gone. So is the Cheese Whiz. > http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/52671/jets-nt-damon-big-snacks-harrison-drops-the-snacks-raises-his-game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sackdance Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 The Jets' Damon Harrison isn't shy about saying he's "the best nose tackle in football." The boasting has to stop. He might as well say, 'despite my success I still wrestle with insecurity. By the way, can anyone recommend a Bentley dealership?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSfan4life_1 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Can anyone recommend a Bentley dealership?' ask Sheldon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FidelioJet Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Yeah, would be nice for these guys to just shut up. I like Snacks but he's very far from the best NT in football. Solid run stopper but not remotely disruptive in the passing game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ylekram Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Yeah, would be nice for these guys to just shut up. I like Snacks but he's very far from the best NT in football. Solid run stopper but not remotely disruptive in the passing game. "very far"?? I think he is easily in the discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Yeah, would be nice for these guys to just shut up. I like Snacks but he's very far from the best NT in football. Solid run stopper but not ~ YET ~ remotely disruptive in the passing game. "very far"?? I think he is easily in the discussion. FIXED ^ ^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Damon Harrison Jets DL Damon Harrison, on a break from Jets training camp, comments on how good the Jets defense can be and how good is he at Madden NFL. > http://espn.go.com/espnradio/playPopup?id=13376207 ~ ~ " I'm paid to be fat " I luv it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Jets Spotlight : Damon 'Snacks' Harrison Nose Tackle Talks About His Connection with Fans, Playing for a Legacy video.. > http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Jets-Spotlight-Damon-Snacks-Harrison/6ffec591-fd48-4082-9878-92d721510d19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 — Damon Harrison has made his presence felt on the New York Jets' defense, working his way from being an undrafted free agent out of William Penn in 2012 to a starting NFL nose tackle.Although the 26-year-old Harrison has established himself as one the league's best at his position, he's sometimes overshadowed on a line that includes Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams — all first-round draft picks. The 6-foot-4, 350-pound Harrison is one of the Jets' most confident and colorful characters, and one of their most important — if not underrated — players. Get to know a little more about the man nicknamed "Snacks" before the Jets take on Andrew Luck and the Colts in Indianapolis on Monday night: PATH FROM UNDRAFTED TO NFL STARTER: "It was pretty rough, man. Every day, you wouldn't know if today is the day they'll call you and ask for the playbook. It's nerve-racking. I knew I'd play football after college, but I didn't think the NFL. It just seemed like too big a jump to go from (NAIA-level) William Penn to the NFL." GROWING UP IN NEW IBERIA, LOUISIANA: "I grew up in the projects and it was your typical neighborhood with a little bit of everything, some positive stuff and a lot of negative. I wouldn't be who I am today if not for that area and that environment." PLAYED SHOOTING GUARD IN BASKETBALL AT LAKE CHARLES BOSTON ACADEMY: "I was a pure shooter, man." BUT INJURED KNEE AS A JUNIOR: "Yeah, and I gained about 50 pounds and decided to play football." STILL HAVE THAT SHOT, THOUGH?: "Yes, sir! I mean, I have to back up a little more now because I'm a lot stronger, but you just never lose that form." WENT TO NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BUT DIDN'T PLAY FOOTBALL: "The coaches convinced me to sign a release form saying that I was going to pretty much waste a year of eligibility because I wasn't going to play. Once I signed the release form, they couldn't honor my scholarship anymore." WORKED OVERNIGHTS STOCKING SHELVES AT WALMART IN LOUISIANA: "I was just trying to find something to do to make some money. I started off in the pets department and finished in cosmetics. The first night, they tell you to not stock the bottom shelf while you're sitting on the floor. I found out the hard way and fell asleep in the middle of the aisle." ENDED UP PLAYING FOOTBALL AT WILLIAM PENN IN OSKALOOSA, IOWA: "It was a culture shock out of this world, man. I had never seen snow before in my life. I don't think I had ever been colder than maybe 45 or 50 degrees. The second day, it was like minus-2 and I had no shoes, only sandals. I kept wiping the snow off my jacket. I didn't know that if you let it sit there, it'll just melt off." CONSIDER YOURSELF UNDERRATED?: "I wouldn't use that word, but I can understand why other people do because I'm not the household name like Muhammad, Sheldon and Leonard are. The people who watch football know exactly what I do. PRO BOWL ASPIRATIONS?: "I have championship aspirations. If that were to happen, I wouldn't be able to play in the Pro Bowl, so hopefully I don't get to play in the Pro Bowl anytime soon." BEST NOSE TACKLE IN THE NFL IS ... ?: "Myself. I don't say that as a knock to anybody else. I just know myself and what I bring to the table. I don't believe anybody in the NFL, once you look at the description of a nose tackle, does it better." EMBRACED "SNACKS" NICKNAME?: "I wasn't too fond of it because it started off here as a joke (because of his penchant for sweets) and it stuck, but I realized that as long as they were calling me something, I was still in the building." HOBBIES: "Playing Madden, Call of Duty, NBA2K, dominoes and Spider Solitaire." FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: "R&B and Luther Vandross." FAVORITE TV SHOW: "'Martin.' You can always count on it for a good laugh and sometimes there's some real-world stuff thrown into it." FAVORITE MOVIE: "'The Five Heartbeats' is No. 1. Oh, and 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes.' As a collective unit on the defensive line, that's our favorite movie. We watch it every time we go to the hotel, and we act out scenes every single day. Muhammad is Koba and Quinton (Coples) is Caesar, but I didn't get a name yet." FAVORITE FOOD: "Crawfish and shrimp fettucine." PREGAME SUPERSTITION: "I eat the same meal, wake up at the same time and play the same set of songs when I get to the stadium." IF I WASN'T PLAYING FOOTBALL, I WOULD BE ... : "Playing in the NBA. I'd probably be a short shooting guard, but I'd be in the NBA, and I'm very confident in saying that." > http://cnsnews.com/news/article/getting-know-jets-nose-tackle-damon-harrison?ref=yfp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 Damon Harrison: 'It'll be hard for any QB' to drub Jets After shredding Andrew Luck and the Colts on Monday Night Football, the Jets are full of moxie in talking about a defense that has shown signs of dominance in back-to-back games."It'll be hard for any quarterback," Jets nose tackle Damon Harrison said about facing New York's secondary, per NJ.com. "I just don't see too many having a level of success against those guys. I say they're mean. That's a mean group we've got back there. It'll be hard for any quarterback." Gang Green's secondary is anchored by All-Pro Darrelle Revis, who played a part in three takeaways against the Colts, recovering two fumbles and gobbling up one of Andrew Luck's three interceptions on the night. That came one week after Revis snatched up a Johnny Manziel fumble in a win over the Browns.Along with Revis, offseason pickup Buster Skrine has played well and avoided the flood of flags he netted as a corner in Cleveland. Antonio Cromartie has lost a step, but the Jets have benefited from better safety play this season under new coach Todd Bowles. "You've got to pick your poison," Harrison said, reiterating: "It'll be tough for any quarterback. Not just Luck."Said offensive lineman Willie Colon: "I think the defense played absolutely out of their skulls. That's the sign of a great defense. They kept us in the game."Bowles has more talent to work with than Rex Ryan did a year ago, but that doesn't take away from what he's accomplished in short order. New York ranked second-to-last in takeaways last season with just 15, but this year's defense already has 10 -- a figure no Jets squad has equaled over their first two games. "Just keep 'em coming, man," Harrison said. "You know what they say: When they come, they come in bunches. When you can't get turnovers in this league, no matter how good you are, if you can't put your offense in a better position, it's going to be tough to win." > http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000537032/article/damon-harrison-itll-be-hard-for-any-qb-to-drub-jets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Inside the Jets : Damon "Snacks" Harrison (9/28) Download and Subscribe to Jets Audibles, the Official Podcast of the New York Jets video.. > http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/audio/Inside-the-Jets-Damon-Snacks-Harrison-928/ba4a7427-902a-4a5c-aa1a-ddd86b07af91 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 The boasting has to stop. He might as well say, 'despite my success I still wrestle with insecurity. By the way, can anyone recommend a Bentley dealership?' It will take a year or two for the damage that Rex did to dissipate. they cant help themselves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.