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August 20, 2002
Next Superstars
ESPN The Magazine

For a team to be unbeatable, it has to find that one guy who's unstoppable.

Tommie Harris
Harris has made a career of exceeding expectations.
It's no surprise that DT Tommie Harris is on the verge of superstardom as a 19-year-old sophomore. When Harris was in high school, his father, a former boxer, took him to the gym to spar -- against GI's from the local Army base. As a high school senior, he was invited by his cousin, Lions OT Stockar McDougle, to a predraft workout in Houston. The trainer took one look at Harris, pulled him from the prep group and threw him in with the NFL guys. Did Harris keep up with the likes of Bobby Taylor, Charles Woodson and Orlando Pace? "He taught me a few things about focus," says the trainer, Danny Arnold.

OU had high hopes for Harris, and he blew them all away, leading the team in QB hurries (14) and finishing second with 17 tackles for losses. He's since put on 20 pounds -- he's now 286 -- to get even more physical. "He has it all: speed (4.7 40), quickness, explosiveness, change of direction," says OU co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. "He's the kind you see and say 'Damn, that's what they are supposed to look like.'"

  • Derrick Johnson Texas So. OLB Cobra-quick; ranked 2nd at UT with 83 tackles as a true frosh

  • Kevin Jones Virginia Tech So. RB Heisman guy without Lee Suggs. Beamer loves to rotate backs

  • Dewayne White Louisville Jr. DE 27 sacks in two years. Former all-state RB could get 20 this year

  • Cadillac Williams Auburn So. RB Healed from a broken collarbone, he's set for 30 carries a game

  • Reggie Williams Washington So. WR A physical 6'4", he snagged 5 for 62 yards vs. Quentin Jammer

    More Players To Watch: Bad Boys | Draft Dodgers | X Men |
    Instant Impacts | Leading Men

    This article appears in the September 2 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

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