Tuff Harris Set to Play in Dolphins' Season Finale

By Jay Harris
CrowNews.Net

Finally!

Christmas arrives a little late this year for Tuff Harris fans but better late than never
when it comes to playing in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins coaching staff informed Tuff earlier this week that he will start on special teams for the team's season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-9).

After a full season of hard practicing and seven weeks on the 53-man active roster,Tuff, a rookie safety, is getting this much anticipated opportunity to play.

“Ever since I was activated from the practice squad, the coaching staff
has told me to be ready to play,” he said over the phone for
CrowNews.Net.

When he takes the field Sunday in Dolphin Stadium, he will make history
as the first Crow Indian to participate in a major league sports
contest during a regular season.

A four-year letterman at the University of Montana, Tuff signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted, college free agent in May. In September, he was signed to the team's practice squad before being activated in November.   

With the league's worst record at 1-14, the Dolphins have had a very
tough season under their first-year, head coach Cam Cameron. The team has
been riddled with injuries, especially in the safety position, and have
relied on many young players to fill important roles this season. 

Among the young players forced into action is Tuff's roommate in
Fort Lauderdale and rookie safety Courtney Bryan of New Mexico State. Courtney and Tuff are two of the five safeties currently on the Dolphin
roster.

If Tuff plays that position Sunday, he’ll be the eleventh
Dolphin safety to see playing time this season. The latest Dolphin
defender gone to injury is cornerback Andre Goodman, whom Tuff is
replacing on the active roster of players suiting out.

All NFL teams are required to suit out no more than 45 of the 53
players on the active roster, and though  the Dolphins activated Tuff
off the practice squad more than six weeks ago, the opportunity for him
to play in a regular season game has been a gameday decision for the
coaching staff.

“I suited out in the snow game at Buffalo and wasn’t
sure if I was going to be able to play then," he said. "Now that I know for sure
I’m playing, I might have to think of a pre-game ritual other than
reading the game program.”

The Bengal-Dolphin game is a confirmed sell-out and will kickoff at
11:00 a.m. Mountain time. The game will be televised on CBS, but coverage
in Montana will likely be available only on the NFL Sunday Ticket
through DirecTV.

Editor's note: Jay Harris is in the Graduate Law Program of the Air Force ROTC
at the University of Colorado and is originally from Lodge Grass. He's Tuff's brother too and is without a doubt watching today's Dolphins game. If you have a story, whether news or opinion, you'd like to share with our readers about events, people or places in or around Crow Agency, send an e-mail to editor@crownews.net., a fax to (406)5453, or call (406)243-4001.