Andrew Harris

Family Background

Andrew Harris was born to Carlene Boivin and Ron Graham in 1987. He did not know his father growing up but found him through an Internet search. The initial encounter between Andrew and Ron, who played cricket in his home nation of Barbados, took place on Mother’s Day in 2014, when Andrew was 27.

Andrew’s mother Carlene was a social worker in Winnipeg. Her uncle, Don Ross, played for the BC Lions as an end and defensive end from 1955 to 1957. He later entered politics and was the mayor of Surrey, BC, from 1980 to 1988.

Early Football Career

Andrew Harris started playing football at the age of nine with the Eastman Raiders in Steinbach, Manitoba. His first position was running back. Even while playing at the pee wee level, Harris knew he wanted to pursue a career in football. In high school, he played for Grant Park High School and Oak Park High School in Winnipeg.

After graduating, he decided to play in the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) rather than at the university level. He played for the Vancouver Island Raiders from 2005 to 2009 and won three CJFL championships (2006, 2008, 2009). He set CJFL records for highest career rushing average (9.9 yards), most career rushing touchdowns (54) and most career points (504). In 2009, Harris had 1,476 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns and won the Wally Buono Award as the best junior football player in Canada.

BC Lions (2008–15)

In 2008, Andrew Harris was a territorial exemption pick of the BC Lions and was invited to the team’s training camp. In 2009, he made the Lions practice squad and split his time between the Lions and Raiders of the CJFL.

In 2010, Harris was a kick returner and special teams player for the Lions. He was set to see regular playing time on offense in 2011 but tore his pectoral muscle in the offseason and did not play as a starter until midway through the year. The Lions got off to a bad start with a 1–6 record through the first seven games. But once Harris saw regular playing time, BC went on a roll. The Lions won 12 of their last 13 games, including a 34–23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to win the Grey Cup. Harris had 10 rushes for 65 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown that opened the scoring. He was named the 2011 Grey Cup’s Most Outstanding Canadian.

In 2012, Harris had his first complete season in the Lions offense. He had 187 carries for 1,112 rushing yards and was a CFL All-Star. In 2013, he rushed for 998 yards. He only played 12 games in 2014 because of a dislocated ankle. In 2015, he had 1,039 rushing yards and eight touchdowns and was once again a CFL All-Star.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2016–21)

Andrew Harris signed a three-year contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on 9 February 2016. In his first season in Winnipeg, he had 974 rushing yards and 631 receiving yards, along with five touchdowns, and was a CFL All-Star.

Harris’s 2017 season was even better. He had 1,035 rushing yards and a career-high 857 receiving yards and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian. Harris’s 1,035 rushing yards and 1,892 yards from scrimmage led the league, and he was a CFL All-Star for a fourth time. He also set the CFL record for most receptions by a running back in a season with 105.

Harris once again led the CFL with a career-high 1,390 rushing yards in 2018. He also had eight touchdown rushes, 451 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. He was named a CFL All-Star for a fifth time.

In 2019, Harris led the CFL in rushing for a third straight season with 1,380 yards. However, he did not receive an individual honour during the regular season because he was suspended for two games after testing positive for metandienone, an anabolic steroid. Harris expressed “shock and disbelief at the news. I immediately thought there had to be some kind of mistake.” He did, however, become the CFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards (9,023) and yards from scrimmage (13,369) by a Canadian. Winnipeg went on to win its first Grey Cup since 1990. Harris had 169 total yards and two touchdowns and became the first player to win both the Most Outstanding Canadian award and the Grey Cup MVP award. Winnipeg beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33–12 in Calgary.

In 2021, the CFL had an abbreviated season after the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris played in seven games and had 623 rushing yards. The Blue Bombers defended their Grey Cup title with a 33–25 overtime win over Hamilton. Harris had 18 carries for 80 yards.

Toronto Argonauts (2022–23)

Andrew Harris joined the Argonauts as a free agent on 8 February 2022 but only played eight games during the regular season due to a torn bicep. He played for Toronto in the postseason and had 69 total yards in the Grey Cup as the Argonauts beat Harris’s old team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 24–23. It was Harris’s third consecutive championship.

On 10 February 2023, Harris re-signed with Toronto for one last season. That year, the 36-year-old Harris missed six games with a knee injury and didn’t start in any of the 12 games he played. He also posted the lowest stats of his career, rushing for only 229 yards and receiving for 86. The Argos still set a franchise record with 16 regular season wins, and Harris returned from injury in time for the Eastern Final against the Montreal Alouettes. But the Als defeated the heavily favoured Argonauts 37–14 at BMO field in Toronto to advance to the Grey Cup.

Vancouver Island Raiders

Before the 2023 CFL season began, Andrew Harris entered into an agreement to run the football operations of the Vancouver Island Raiders and to be their head coach after he retired from the CFL. He took up head coaching duties with the Nanaimo-based club heading into the 2024 season.