Tragedies are a part of life. They happen everyday unexpectedly in this world and hurt most when they happen very close to us.
The loss of much loved coach Richard Harris, who died of a sudden heart attack last week at age 63, hit the whole organization hard, and only made the game against the B.C. Lions that much more emotional.
The whole team played for Coach Harris. Although he only coached the defensive line, he was not only well respected by everyone on the team, but also by players and coaches across the league. His attitude toward everyone made it easy for everyone to give it their all for him.
Being able to get the victory for him was an amazing accomplishment for the team. After the last whistle blew, the lights were turned off and the fans went home, the team and the city still had to deal with the reality of things — we had lost a great man.
In the locker room after the game Coach Harris’ wife was presented with the game ball. It was inspiring to see her accept it. She showed a lot of strength through such a hard time. The most important thing through it all is that we all learned a lot from him and we now all carry a piece of him in us, and we can display his likeness in our daily lives with everyone we encounter.
The week began very well for myself. I finally got the green light to step on the practice field, with pads on. The aim was to see where my knee was at. I was happy with the progress it had made since the first weeks. I was able to run, participate in positional drills and even hit during the different sessions against the offense. It felt extremely good to be able to have some contact again and I thank God for the improvement that has been made.
Although I will not be able to play tonight I am excited in anticipation for it, like the rest of the Bombers fans. As a competitor, there is no better feeling but to beat the best team in the league. Edmonton is a really well coached team that executes and wins at the end. They are undefeated up until now and the whole team is exited for the challenge and ready to go!