Jacory Harris' transformation from rookie to undisputed team leader began on the team bus following Miami's loss to Cal this past year in the Emerald Bowl.
It was the true freshman's second start as Hurricanes quarterback, and while he played a respectable game despite an injured arm, he couldn't shake the fact the ball was stripped away from him at the 9-yard line, which eventually led to Cal's game-winning touchdown.
"That's when it kind of started," receiver LaRon Byrd said. "That was one of the biggest games of his career. I think it was a wake-up call for him." Rather than get mad, make excuses or pout about it, Harris apologized to the team for it.
"I felt like I let them down," Harris said. "I don't like letting people down. That's one thing I've grown up not wanting to do. People shouldn't ever want to let people down. I'm just not that type of person."
From that moment on, his teammates and coaches knew that he was the undisputed leader -- something Miami football has been lacking.
"He is calm, cool, collected on the field, and in the locker room, all the players love him," wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill said. "He's kind of a jokester. And it's just him. It's not something he's trying to work too hard on. He has switches, where, 'Hey, it's time to focus.' I've seen him in the huddle where he's got total focus and he's got the total attention of the whole offense. They believe in him. He really works at it as far as mentally and physically, and he's just a natural winner. He just knows how to win. Everyone talks about having it. He has it."
Heather Dinich, ESPN
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