A photo of a hockey official with an uncanny resemblance to future Canadian Football Hall of Fame running back Andrew Harris circulated on social media on Monday. TSN’s Farhan Lalji has since confirmed the official’s identity as Harris and provided the backstory for the photo, which was taken in Winnipeg.
As a matter of fact this is @andrewharris33. This is the same league he plays in in Wpg. A friend of his runs it & was concerned about a ref shortage during covid so he got certified. He loves being on the ice & decent exercise so why not?
The five-foot-ten, 216-pound ball carrier has been avid hockey player since he was a child, reaching the AAA level in his early teen years. He has previously stated that hockey is a big part of his off-season training as he’d rather lace up his skates than do cardio on a treadmill or elliptical machine.
Harris recently departed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers following a six-year stint with his hometown team. He rushed for 5,402 yards and 25 touchdowns over 74 games with the club, winning the CFL’s rushing title for three consecutive seasons (2017-19). He also made 311 receptions for 2,584 yards and 10 touchdowns while wearing blue and gold.
The five-time CFL all-star signed with the Toronto Argonauts last month, inking a one-year contract that made him the league’s highest-paid running back. Blue Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea recently called Harris a “once-in-a-lifetime player,” admitting that Winnipeg will have to work hard to replace his production and leadership in 2022.
Harris was limited to just seven games last season due to injury but remained effective, rushing for 623 yards and three touchdowns. He is just 339 yards shy of becoming the fifth running back in CFL history to rush for 10,000 yards, a feat that has only been accomplished by Mike Pringle, George Reed, Johnny Bright, and Charles Roberts.
