Andrew Harris continues to believe and wants to prove his positive drug sample was tainted.
“It’s been shipped away and just waiting to hear back. It’s like a needle in a haystack, but I’m doing everything I can to get some answers,” Harris said.
“He’s pissed off. He’s not in any mood to chat. He’s angry. That’ll turn into something productive for him,” head coach Mike O’Shea said.
Harris was back at practice with his Blue Bombers’ teammates on Tuesday for the first time following serving the two-game suspension. Winnipeg went 1-1 against Saskatchewan while the star Canadian running back served his punishment.
“It’s crazy how I did something so positive a week before and how much more people reached out to me when the negative news came out. That showed some true colours in some people and along with some of the negativity that came along with that,” Harris said.
“It’s been a tough few months for sure. I’ve had a lot of positive support. Overall it’s been extremely tough, but I’m just looking forward to moving forward now and getting back out there with my teammates.”
It bugs Harris there are people who don’t believe his statement about contamination causing the failed test. 10 days between random drug testing was the difference in clean to positive samples. The timeline made it very clear he was not using banned substances.
“There’s tons of articles, there’s tons of stories like this and it’s more common then I even thought. I’m doing my best to get some answers,” Harris said.
“I feel like I have a lot of integrity and have worked hard to be where I’m at right now.”
The 32-year-old still leads the CFL in rushing with 908 yards on 141 carries sporting an impressive 6.4 yards-per-carry average. Harris returns to action in Week 15 against the Montreal Alouettes.
“Extremely fired up. It’s been close to a month playing – live hits and a live game. Sitting and watching has taught me a lot,” Harris said.
“Today running around I felt extremely fresh. When you play a full season and you get all that wear and tear it can definitely take a toll on you. Overall, I think how fresh I am right now is going to be a benefit.”
Winnipeg’s most dynamic offensive weapon was considered a front-runner for league awards prior to the positive test. Whether that’s changed in the minds of the voters doesn’t bother Harris.
“I would hope not. But people are going to do what they’re going to do At the end of the day, I know the truth,” Harris said.
“The truth – that it was a mistake and it wasn’t something that was intentional.”