N’Keal Harry motivated by his grandmother and ready to make NFL history

N’Keal Harry doesn’t know where his NFL career will begin, but when it does, he’ll be making history.

After recording 213 catches and 22 touchdowns during his three-year career at Arizona State, N’Keal Harry is ready to live his dream of playing in the NFL.

The Sun Devils standout receiver will be one of the first few players taken at his position. But he’ll be the first from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to make the NFL.

The significance isn’t lost on the 6-4, 225-pound Harry, who is a potential first-round pick.

“It’s extremely special because that’s where I come from, that’s where all my ancestors are from,” Harry said. “That island holds a very special place in my heart. Even though I wasn’t born there, that’s where I consider home, and just being the first player ever from Saint Vincent to make it to the NFL, I know it would mean a lot not just to myself, not just to my family, but the whole island. Just having somebody that represents Saint Vincent.”

Raised and supported by his grandmother, Ferna Harry, N’Keal saw first-hand the sacrifices she made. Whether it was sending send him to football camps or buying new shoes to play basketball (watch him break the backboard on a dunk), she did everything she could to give him opportunities she didn’t have.

“My grandmother has sacrificed everything for me. She’s always put me before herself, so I feel like I owe that lady the world. She’s extremely special to me. I feel like she knows me better than I even know myself. So just having a woman like that in my life is the biggest blessing.

“I’m just most excited for her to just finally get to sit back and relax. She’s worked so hard throughout her life. Nothing’s been handed to her. She’d had to go and grind for everything she’s gotten, so for her to finally be able to sit back and just enjoy the time she has, that’s what I’m most excited for.”

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The lead up to the draft can be a stressful time for players like Harry. Their futures are unwritten. For the first time, they aren’t in control of where they’ll be playing. Speaking three days before the draft begins, Harry admits to feeling a lot of emotions, but the excitement has overtaken his anxiety.

“I’m more excited than anything. I’m of course a little bit anxious just to figure out where I’m going, but I’m excited. I finally get to live my dream of going to the NFL, so no matter where I end up, I’m going to be thankful for the opportunity that I’ve been given.”

Harry has visited the Arizona Cardinals as part of his pre-draft visits. After starring at Chandler High School in Glendale and later at Arizona State, the opportunity to stay in the Grand Canyon State is an attractive one.

“That would be amazing and crazy if that were to happen, it would be nothing but fate. I’m just a kid from a small island that ended up all the way in Arizona, so if I were to be able to go to high school, college and in the NFL in that state, it has to be fate.”

The appeal of playing in Arizona is more than the local connection. His favorite player growing up was Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

“Growing up, I watched Larry Fitzgerald a lot. He’s basically the King of Arizona. And then once I got into college and once I could start studying film on some of these receivers, I started to look at Larry Fitzgerald, because I feel like our games are very similar.”

The appeal of being a teammate of his childhood idol would make for a seamless transition from college to the NFL, where he could pick his brain and learn from the future Hall of Famer.

“It would be great just because I would definitely want to pick his brain, see what he’s done to be in the league so long because obviously, he’s doing something right when it comes to taking care of his body, conducting himself off the field. So that would definitely be somebody that could get give me a lot of wisdom. So yeah, that would be great.”

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Whether he stays in Arizona or leaves the state to continue his career, he’s excited to show his new team the type of person he is first and the type of player he is second. That’s just the way his grandmother raised him. For the fans who didn’t watch Harry at Arizona State and are just now learning about who he is, he has a very simple message, one that should make him an instant fan favorite.

“I would want the fans to know about me as a person before anything, before a football player. My grandmother raised me to be an extremely humble person, to treat everybody with respect. So I would just really want the fans to get to know me. I’m very interactive with the fans. I’ll never say no to a picture or anything like that, so just them getting to know me and getting to interact with me is something I would encourage them to do.”

Harry is humble, but he also has the trademark confidence all great receivers have. He lets his play do the talking. He had arguably the catch of the year in college football in 2018 vs. USC, a one-handed grab even Odell Beckham Jr. would be envious of.

That quiet confidence won’t stop him from thinking he’s the best receiver in the draft. But there’s no puffing out his chest or a sense of cockiness in his words. That’s just how you have to approach the game.

“Yeah, I do [think I’m the best receiver in the draft]. I just don’t go around boasting it a lot. That’s just not how I was raised. But yeah, I definitely do. You have to have that confidence in your game. I bet all the other receivers in the draft think the same thing. If they didn’t, I would advise them to stop playing the game right now. So that’s always my confidence, I’m just not the type to just go around bragging about it. Just going on radio shows and stuff claiming I’m the best receiver, that’s just not me.”

That’s Harry. He’s a genuine and honest person. He gets that from his grandmother and spending a year with Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards appears to have rubbed off on him. Despite playing only one year for Edwards, Harry says he was the best coach he’s ever had.

“Herm was probably my favorite coach I’ve ever had. My first time meeting Coach Herm was actually at the Under Armour All-American game when I was in high school, and he was the same man. The guy that everybody sees on TV, broadcasting, that’s the same guy that walks into the facility every day. And I think that’s the best thing about him. He’s truly a genuine person. He truly cared about every single one of us on that team, and that’s how he got our trust so fast, that’s how he got all of us to buy in. I know he’s going to do great things at Arizona State.”

Now, Harry looks to do great things in the NFL, wherever he lands.

And what will N’Keal tell his grandmother when his name is called and his dream is realized?

“We did it.”

Harry is working with Panini America who will print his first official trading card.

“I’m getting my personal edition trading cards to give out to family and friends during draft night. So just basically seeing myself on all these trading cards is a dream come true. Just walking through the offices, seeing how much work everybody puts in is truly amazing. When people think about trading cards, I don’t think they see how much work goes into it. So it’s truly amazing to see that.”

“On draft night, once I get picked, fans will be able to go on ICollectPanini.com and get their trading cards, and that just shows you how good these people are at their jobs being able to put something like that out in that amount of time is crazy. So just seeing all this is amazing, and it’s really a blessing.”