Missing Spring Practice Puts Future in Doubt for Montel Harris

So remember that mostly-great weekend Boston College just had? Well, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops in Chestnut Hill anymore. Just one practice into early-opening spring football and the bad news rain cloud that so often follows Frank Spaziani is at it again. Montel Harris — stuck just 867 shorts shy of the all-time ACC rushing record — is done for the rest of the spring after aggravating the left knee injury that sidelined him for most of the 2011 season.

Re-aggravating the left knee injury that saw him land a medical hardship waver last season will sideline Montel Harris for all of spring practice (Photo Credit: John Wilcox/Boston Herald)

When Spaziani announced that Harris felt soreness and would be shelved for the spring it was a big blow for the team, sure, but an even bigger one to the top runner in Eagles history. Spring ball is a big part of program building, especially with a new offensive coordinator. Doug Martin getting a first look at the personel at his disposal, but it isn’t the end of the world. If Harris is healthy when the Miami Hurricanes roll into town on Labor Day, expect him to get some touches. His track record from his first day on campus has earned him that much.

When he is healthy — as he never really was in his two games and 34 total touches last season — Harris is by far the most complete back on the team. Still, the stable of Deuce Finch, Andre Williams and Tahj Kimble is definitely serviceable. Extra touches in Harris’ absence this spring could see Finch work out his fumbling problem, Kimble add a little bulk or Williams realize that he should focus on actual being the downhill runner his body wants him to be. The system hasn’t been installed yet, meaning it isn’t reliant on any one player to have success. In the long run, the Eagles will be fine with or, as sad as it is to say, without Harris.

Who this really hurts is Harris himself. Twelve months ago he was the preseason Offensive Player of the Year in the ACC, just over 1000 yards away from the conference rushing record and well positioned to get — at the very least — a long, hard look from the NFL. Running backs are fragile and 23-year-old ones with bad knees have a shorter shelf-life at the next level than most. Harris was undersized and lacked a great burst to begin with, now a history of nagging injuries will only hurt his case.

Taking the field again is even in doubt. As Eric Hoffses pointed out on Twitter, the running back’s workload was supposed to be light this spring. How will he handle full-speed practicing in the summer, yet alone the pounding of ACC defenses in the fall? The questions won’t stop until he steps foot on the field again.

One year ago, Harris was looking at a surefire ACC record, scores of accolades and a mid-round pick in the April NFL draft. Instead, he got a medical-hardship waiver for a knee injury that just refuses to go away. At this point, even the record would go down with an asterisk thanks to those 135 yards racked up in the year that didn’t really count. Even without them, 867 yards is a lot to ask from a rusty, banged-up Harris in a new-look offense.

There are two different scenarios staring at Montel Harris right now, and not even he knows which one will come to be.

Montel Harris in the leather helmet, hoisted up by teammates after defeating Clemson in 2010 (Photo Credit: John Wilcox/Boston Herald)

In Scenario No. 1, the extra rest will allow the knee to heal fully for the first time. Jumping into summer practice without a hitch, Harris spends the season running by defenses, re-invigorated by his time off instead of slowed, smashing Ted Brown’s record with complete disregard for all the things that were supposed to hold him back.

In Scenario No. 2, Harris will come back for the summer practice without completely having shaken his knee injury, but ready to try and prove that he has. Slower, rusty and reserved about the knee that has dampened a once bright career, he is a shell of the All-ACC player everyone once knew. Most of his carries lost to Williams and Finch, Harris spends most of his time holding his helmet on the sidelines, watching the action and wondering what happened.

It is future tale of caution. It is the most depressing of ends to one of the greatest rushers in Boston College history. The first one is what ignites fans and players with passion and excitement. The first one is what brought Montel Harris back to prove what could happen.

I know which one I’ll be rooting for.