After the Maryland football team’s spring practice ended Thursday, running back Lorenzo Harrison emerged in front of a crowd of reporters to offer a statement about five months in the making.
The meeting marked Harrison’s first interaction with the media since his Nov. 6 airsoft gun incident, when he and reserve wide receiver DJ Turner were suspended four games for violating the student-athlete code of conduct.
It was also the first time Harrison faced cameras since a breakout debut season in which he finished 57 yards short of the program’s freshman rushing record.
Harrison told reporters he’s moving on from prior “foolishness” and wants to show more responsibility in his second chance with coach DJ Durkin’s program. That starts Saturday afternoon in Maryland’s spring game, where he’ll be the leader of a deep backfield.
“I just want to apologize for the negative light I placed on the university,” Harrison said while fidgeting. “I know that it was really hard for everybody when I was no longer with the team … but I just want to say I’m really appreciative to the university, [President Wallace] Loh, my coaches and everybody that fought for me to be back.”
Harrison admitted he reached a point in December, when the Terps were preparing to face Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl, where he wasn’t sure if he would wear a Maryland uniform again.
Sure, the 5-foot-8, 193-pound DeMatha Catholic High School product had juked opponents with his low center of gravity, his power and sideline shiftiness fitting well in offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s up-tempo scheme. He set a Maryland freshman record with four touchdowns in his first four games.
But he and Turner faced three counts of second-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of school molestation — threatening bodily harm on this university’s property — after police suspected their roles in shooting three students with BB pellets.
The Office of Student Conduct cleared Harrison and Turner on Dec. 27, ending their indefinite suspensions a day after the Terps’ 2016 season concluded. The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Office dropped all charges Jan. 11.
“It just really got to me,” Harrison said, “how fast everything was almost taken away.”
Durkin has witnessed increased maturity from Harrison in offseason training. The running back is working on techniques and fundamentals while carrying the ball and ensuring he has proper hand placement on blocks.
“I know he’s gained perspective on things,” Durkin said. “The big thing for me [is] for him to convey that message to the rest of the team. I think smart people will learn from others’ mistakes, not just their own. He went through a little deal there, but we’re certainly happy to have him back, and he looks really good.”
Harrison’s impression during spring camp has come amid crowded backfield competition.
Running back Ty Johnson, who finished with a team-high 1,004 yards last year, is a junior standout, while Durkin secured three rookies, including four-star DeMatha Catholic running back Anthony McFarland, in the 2017 class.
“We have multiple running backs that can take the ball and go,” quarterback Caleb Henderson said. “So it really helps hold linebackers and safeties to make them honest.”
To ensure his playing time doesn’t wane in his second campaign, Harrison often reflects on his frustration from missing the freshman rushing record last year.
He knew the milestone was close because people told him, “You’ll probably break it this game,” before Maryland played Ohio State on Nov. 12. But the program announced Harrison’s suspension about an hour before kickoff, allowing former running back LaMont Jordan to hold onto the mark.
Harrison doesn’t want to endure another letdown this year.
“I got into something really early in my career, so I know I can’t have any more slip-ups,” Harrison said. “I’m glad I got that out of the way, and I know I have to just … be mature and stay away from all the foolishness.”
