An interview between Jay Harris of CrowNews.net and Tuff Harris of the Tennessee Titans from the evening of Tuesday, November 11th.
Jay: Hello, this is Jay Harris with CrowNews.net. I'm also your brother. Remember me? Haha. I think the burning question everyone has is: just how much money are you making down there? Just kidding. But, seriously, how about starting off this interview with an update from Nashville?
Tuff: Well, things are good as ever in football. We’re 9-0 right now and it’s a really unique feeling to be undefeated, especially at this level. It feels great.
Jay: It must feel a little better than being 8-0.
Tuff: Yeah, and I don’t think I’ve ever been 9-0 in anything.
Jay: And just in case we still have a few Indians living in teepees back home, briefly explain who you are.
Tuff: Haha, well, I am Tuff Harris…born of Melody and Jerry Harris on the Crow Reservation. I am currently on the practice squad for the Tennessee Titans, last I knew anyway. I practiced this afternoon. But, yeah, that’s my job and it pretty much takes up all my time down here in Nashville, in addition to time spent with my wife, Mary. And we go golfing once in a while.
Jay: Okay, good. Yeah, I think everyone back home is really pulling for Tennessee this season, or at least they better be, right? Haha. So how’s life on the practice squad?
Tuff: Life on the practice squad is fun. I play a lot of different positions. I play a little bit of everything. It’s been really good for my development as a football player. At this level they throw you in wherever they need you. If it’s filling up water bottles or taping ankles or running around on defense…anything they need I’ll do.
Jay: So what’s better, being undefeated and the talk of the NFL or being a newlywed? Haha, you better answer this question correctly.
Tuff: There’s a lot of excitement in both. You know, a lot of people are searching for someone special and I’ve been really blessed with success in football, which is also special. But football will come and go and marriage is forever.
Jay: Yeah, I guess it is not such a good thing to be mistaken for you anymore. Haha, moving on...we all know that Southerners love buffets, they love bar-b-que, they eat fried everything. Maybe tell us about some of the great restaurants you’ve discovered around Nashville.
Tuff: There’s actually a cool fast-food chain down here called “Five Guys.” We don’t have those back home. It’s really a simple burger joint and all you pay for is the burger and fries…all the sides are free.
Jay: All the sides are free? What are the sides you can get?
Tuff: Anything you can put on a burger.
Jay: So it’s kind of like Fuddruckers?
Tuff: Yeah, kind of. Fuddruckers has more menu options…here at Five Guys it’s just burgers and fries.
Jay: So it’s a burger joint with just burgers.
Tuff: And fries. And they have a sign up in the restaurant that tells you where the potatoes they are using for fries are from. And there’s also this place called “B.B. King’s.” It’s like Applebees with a live band playing.
Jay: Yeah, I’ve heard of that chain. I hear you can order fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches there.
Tuff: I haven’t tried those yet.
Jay: Have you hit the famous Waffle House yet?
Tuff: Yeah, down in Florida I used to. But I haven’t yet in Tennessee. But since we’re on the subject of food…when I was down in New Orleans, former MSU quarterback Travis Lulay and I went to a place…I can’t remember the name of the restaurant but it was off Bourbon Street. Travis ordered the triple gumbo something and I ordered the special of the day, which was crawdads and shrimp and other stuff. It’s been great being down in the South. And all of the places I have been able to eat at, I tell you, it’s a whole different world down here.
Jay: How did you like crawdads?
Tuff: Oh, they’re a little messy and you don’t get very much. But they’re good.
Jay: I understand you and Mary went and checked out the honky-tonks in Nashville…how did that go?
Tuff: Good. Yeah, every place with a stage has someone playing in it…24/7…there’s thousands of artists trying to make it, trying to get heard. Mary and I went to a small venue one night and one of her old high school classmates was performing there. His band’s name was “The Four Kicks,” a pretty cool band.
Jay: Are you going to make a cameo one of these nights down there? I’m sure they have a lot of karaoke bars.
Tuff: Probably not. Other guys on the team do once in a while. There’s a site on Youtube with a lot of the Titans up on stage singing karaoke.
Jay: Getting back to football, rumor has it you were pulled aside in practice by the Titans’ offensive coordinator and he wasn’t exactly getting after you. Tell us what happened there?
Tuff: Well, in the past few weeks some of the receivers were hurt and that made some of the scout team receivers pull double-duty on the practice squad and the scout team so they needed a fresh pair of legs to play receiver. They asked me to and so I’ve been playing receiver in practice for the last few weeks. I was making some nice catches and I guess I was also catching the eyes of some of the players and coaches as well. Recently, I talked with our offensive coordinator, Coach Heimerdinger, and he asked me if I knew how to run routes. So I told him, “Just tell me the route you want me to run, and I’ll run it.” Basically, I told him I was willing to play receiver if he wanted me to.
Jay: Good deal. What are your thoughts on your old team, the Montana Grizzlies?
Tuff: The Montana Grizzlies are keeping up the tradition. Finding ways to win, and in recent weeks doing it in impressive fashion.
Jay: Do you still know very many players on the team?
Tuff: Yeah, I know most of the seniors and some of the underclassmen. And most of the coaches are the same as when I was there.
Jay: How far do you think they’re going to make it in the playoffs this year?
Tuff: Well, this was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but it’s turned out to be another great season. Montana has the potential of winning it all. Whatever the case may be, good luck to them. I'll be watching.
Jay: Howabout the Dolphins? Do you still cheer for them?
Tuff: Yeah, and I still know a lot of the players down there. My old roommate in Miami, Courtney Bryan, was recently re-signed as a safety by Miami. I’m pretty excited about that.
Jay: Do you guys still keep in touch?
Tuff: Yeah, he just texted me today and said he got re-signed and was heading back to Miami.
Jay: Cool. So what do you miss most about Montana?
Tuff: What do I miss most? Probably the people. I miss a lot of the interactions with my childhood friends and people that would come up to me and give their support. I also miss having seasons. Down in the South, the weather doesn’t change too much. Christmas in Miami kind of came and went without really feeling like Christmas. Traditional things that you do every year are kind of put on hold because of football.
Jay: Want to give a shout out to anybody back home? This is CrowNews.net so they might not hear you, but it’s worth a try.
Tuff: Haha…uh, let me see…CrowNews.net. Well, I can give a shout out to all the schools I was able to speak at during the offseason, as well as all of the churches I spoke at. I appreciate everyone’s support and prayers. I look forward to coming back and seeing the faces of the kids I met and the teachers. Yeah, I look forward to seeing everybody again.
Jay: Anything else to report?
Tuff: Um…let me see. Other than that, everything’s going pretty good.
Jay: Good enough. By the way, when is your bed time?
Tuff: About a half hour ago. Haha…I try to break things down about 9:30 or so. If I treat my body right it treats me right.
Jay: I’ve taught you well. Haha. Alright brother, we’ll do this again sometime soon.
Tuff: Talk to you later.
