Super Bowl 2022: Bengals' Clark Harris finally gets to the big ...

A former Southern Regional standout and Rutgers tight end, Cincinnati Bengals long-snapper Clark Harris' 216th NFL game will be his first ... SPORTSThelong(snapping)journeyofBengals'ClarkHarris-fromManahawkintoSuperBowl2022StephenEdelsonAsburyParkPressViewCommentsViewCommentsThegood-naturedribbingcomeswiththeterritoryforClarkHarrisatthispointinhiscareer.Afterall,the37-year-oldManahawkinnativehasbeentheoldestplayerintheCincinnatiBengals’lockerroomforawhilenow,with“gramps”onlyeightmonthsyoungerthanheadcoachZacTaylor.AndwhenHarrisandhisteammatestakethefieldatSoFiStadiuminLosAngelesaweekfromSunday,SuperBowlLVIwillbetheironmanlong-snapper’s216thNFLgame.“Myteammatesallhavetheirlittlejokes,”Harrissaidinatelephoneinterview.“EspeciallywithCOVIDtestingthepasttwoyears,becausewhenyouwalkinyouhavetogiveyournameandyourbirthdate.Andwehavesomedudesthatwerebornin1999,andI’mlike,‘ah,1984.’Anditblowstheirminds.”Withthatsaid,it’sunlikelyanyoneinthelockerroomappreciateswhat’sbeenamagicallate-seasonrunmorethanHarris,withaseriesofdramaticwinspropellingthetheBengalstotheir firstSuperBowlsince1989. “He’sgotrenewedenthusiasm.He’slikearookiehe’ssoexcitedrightnow,”saidJimHutchinson,Harris’step-father.A luckybreakByHarris’count,hewascutninetimesearlyinhisNFLcareerbetweenstintsinGreenBay,whichdraftedhimintheseventhroundin2007,DetroitandHouston.Backthenhewastryingtomakeitasatightend.Andwhynot,withthe6-5,260-poundtargethavingclosedhisRutgerscareerwith122receivingyardsintheScarletKnights’TexasBowlwin.Thenhegotachancetodosomelong-snappingwhilewiththeTexans.Itwas askillhepickedupinhisdaysatSouthernRegionalHighSchool.Therestishistory,withtheBengalspickinghimupfivegamesintothe2009season.“Iwouldn’thavemindedplayingtightend.Theymakealotmoremoneythanwedo,”saidHarris,who'sona $1.2milliondealthisseason. “Butthefirstcoupleofyearsintheleaguewerehard.Togetcutthatmanytimes.Itgetsyouthinkinglike,‘damn,isthisgoingtohappen?’ThenyoucatchaluckybreakandgettosnapsomeballsfortheHoustonTexans,andhereIam.”AsstunningastheBengals’emergenceasthedarlingsofprofootballhasbeen,it’sthewaythey’vedoneitthat’smadetheirstorybookrisethatmuchmorecompelling.NFL: BelichicktextscanbesmokingguntoforcechangeinNFLhiringpolicyAndHarris hasbeeninthemiddleofitall.TakelastSundayatArrowheadStadium,wheretheBengalsralliedfrom18pointsdownintheAFCChampionshipgametotaketheleadona52-yardfieldgoalbyEvanMcPhersonwithsixminutestoplay,beforeMcPherson’s31-yardinovertimewonit.Aweekearlier,a52-yardfieldgoalastimeexpiredallowedtheBengalstoadvancewitharoadwinatTennessee.“Youcouldn’twriteabetterscriptifyoutriedforalong-snapper,”Harrissaid.“JusttobeabletomaketheplayoffsintheNFLissohardtodo,sothatwasawesome.Buttobeabletogetsomeplayoffwinsforthefirsttimeinmycareerhasbeenawesomeaswell.”PerfectscriptIt’sworthnotingtheBengalshadacombinedrecordof25-53-1overthepreviousfiveseasons.Andeventhough theymadetheplayoffsfivestraightseasonsbeforethat,theywereone-and-doneeachtime.Sowhilenoonecouldhavepredictedwhat’stranspiredoverthepastfewmonths,Harrissawfirst-handhowthemomentumbuiltastheseasonworeon,withquarterbackJoeBurrow’sweeklyheroicsmakingitallpossible.“Asthingsgotrolling,youcouldjustseehowtheguysstartinteractingwitheachother,”hesaid.“Anditlookedlikeeveryonehadagoodconnectionandwejuststartedhavingsomefun,andafterawhileIguessIcouldsayIcouldseethishappening.“ThereweretwoplaysinthegameagainstKansasCitythatreallysolidifiedformethat(Burrow)isreallythatguy.Hehadtwoawesomerunsforfirstdowns,onthesamedriveIbelieve.Andwhenhedidthat,Iwaslike,‘man,we’renotgoingtolosethisgame.JoeBurrowisnotgoingtoletuslosethisgame.’That’sagoodfeeling.”AmongthecontingentheadingtoSouthernCaliforniatowitnessthebiggesteventinAmericansportswillbeHarris’wife,Jessica,theirtwosons,Trent,9,andTroy,5,alongwithhismom,BonnieHutchinsonofManahawkin,andherhusband,Jim.“I’mactuallymoreexcitedforthem,mywifeandmytwoboys,”Harrissaid.“Myoldestsonisgettingsomerecognitioninschoolrightnow,sothatisgettinghimexcitedandreadytogo.He’sgettingaweekofffromschoolsoheisexcitedaboutthat.He’sjustexcitedabouteverything.”“Everybodyisinatizzyhere.Weneverexpectedit,”JimHutchinsonsaid.“Wewouldn’tmissitfortheworld.I’vebeenanEagles'seasonticketholderfor50years,andIwasn’tabletomakeitthelasttimetheywereintheSuperBowlandIfiguredmychancestomakeitweredone.Nowthis.”Andgivenhislongjourneytoreachthispoint,it’shardtoimagineanyonewouldappreciategettingtoraisetheVinceLombardiTrophyinthemiddleofaconfettistormmorethanClarkHarriswould.ViewCommentsViewComments