ANTIOCH, Calif. — Nick McCloud diagnosed the play perfectly.
The Notre Dame defensive back watched Najee Harris bounce his first-down run outside in an attempt to turn the corner and gain a few extra yards.
No problem. McCloud’s pursuit angle would make it difficult for the explosive Alabama senior to cut back inside. If Harris opted to go outside, all McCloud needed to do was push him out of bounds, the sideline acting as a 12th defender.
As the Irish cornerback broke down to make the tackle, he figured to have all directions covered in the BCS national semifinal game.
Unable to go right or left, Harris went up. And just like that, poor McCloud was on the wrong end of the first viral sports video of 2021. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Harris vaulted over the defensive back, using him like a pommel horse, on the way to a stunning 50-yard gain. Replays showed the daring Jan. 1 leap from every angle.
Back home in Northern California, a lot of former Antioch High opponents could sympathize with the sight of McCloud grasping at air and falling to the turf after failing to tackle Harris.
“Oh, we’ve seen it a few times,” Antioch offensive coordinator Brett Dudley said laughing.
Harris, the Steelers’ first-round draft pick, is capable of going around and through would-be tacklers. But it’s his unconventional vertical route that has electrified fans at the high school and college levels.
Whether Alabama’s all-time leading rusher can do it consistently in the NFL, against some of the world’s best athletes, remains to be seen. However, there’s little doubt he plans to try.
Among the trademarks in his new clothing line is a silhouette image of Harris hurdling an invisible defender.
#SteelerNation GET YO MERCH https://t.co/Wa8A8syKti pic.twitter.com/sRomjYZtgM
— Najee Harris (@ohthatsNajee22) April 30, 2021
“So far, he’s come down as easy as he goes up,” said his mother Tianna Hicks.
Mom appreciates the graceful display of athleticism, but admits she doesn’t like seeing him take the risk for fear of injury.
“I hate the hurdle,” she said. “I would just rather see him run through people instead.”
Nick Saban shares her concern.
“I tried to teach him not to do it and it didn’t work,” the Alabama coach told reporters after the Crimson Tide’s 31-14 win over Notre Dame.
Harris is hardly the first back to go airborne with regularity. Reggie Bush. Todd Gurley. Ezekiel Elliott. Closer to home, Harris might remind some Steelers’ fans of Le’Veon Bell.
The fear, of course, is losing body control in mid air, particularly if a defender makes contact with the ballcarrier at the apex of his jump. It could cause the runner to rotate like a helicopter blade and crash violently.
Harris’ personal trainer Marcus Malu is no fan of the leap. For him, it conjures frightening memories of former Cal standout Jahvid Best, who was taken from the field on a stretcher during a 2009 game in which he scored a touchdown, but landed on his back and neck.
The most painful moments for Harris have involved penalty flags that wiped out long runs after his sky scrapes. In California prep football, it’s illegal to hurdle a defender who has both feet on the ground at the time of takeoff.
“They call it the Najee rule,” said Dudley, who discouraged Harris from doing it.
What bothered the Antioch coaching staff was their star back sometimes got flagged for 15 yards even if a defender already had fallen or was in the process of going to ground. The San Francisco Chronicle traces his vaults back to his sophomore season in 2014.
Harris offers a contrasting opinion regarding his liftoffs and concerns over injuries. He’s tired of getting his legs chopped out from under him by defenders who drive their shoulder pads into his thighs and knees.
“It hurts,” he said in a teleconference during the Crimson Tide’s championship run. “I guess I just started hurdling.”
How does Harris possess such a spring in his step? His personal trainer said the running back’s power coupled with his devotion to stretching are key factors. Harris sometimes will limber up for a half hour before training. He also work with yoga instructors.
“Running backs want that breakout run and those linemen and linebackers know how to go for your ankles and legs,” Hicks said. “Especially Najee because you can’t go upper body with him because he’s so big, he’ll drag you another five or 10 yards.”
And what if Harris attempts to scale would-be tacklers only to realize he won’t clear the treetops? Somebody on the South Side better show him the Antonio Brown video.
