Big game by Mizzou’s Charles Harris impresses others, if not Harris

Missouri’s single-season sack leader Shane Ray never did it, and neither did Markus Golden.

Former first-round pick Aldon Smith can’t claim the feat in his college career, nor can Michael Sam, Kony Ealy or Sheldon Richardson.

In fact, during Gary Pinkel’s 15-year tenure as Missouri’s coach, only three players had recorded at least 4  1/2 tackles for a loss in a game before sophomore defensive end Charles Harris did it Saturday at Arkansas State.

Defensive ends Stryker Sulak and Brian Smith each had five tackles for a loss in a game, and safety Pig Brown once had 4  1/2 tackles for a loss.

Of course, Harris did it in his third career start as part of a six-tackle, two-sack performance in a 27-20 win against the Red Wolves — and had no idea how special it was.

“I’m not really surprised about the game at all and the numbers I put up,” Harris said. “I’m not all that familiar with football in terms of the numbers and stuff, so people were telling me, ‘Oh, those are great numbers.’ I was like, ‘Oh, really? OK.’ ”

Harris was a basketball player at Lincoln Prep in Kansas City before giving football a shot his junior season. While he may not have been overly impressed with his performance, defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski was.

“Four-and-a-half tackles for loss is huge,” Kuligowski said. “He did a great job getting off. For the first time that he’s played for us in a game, you see what I would call the flow. You see Shane Ray had it last year. Markus Golden had it. It takes a while to develop it, but … he was able to just instinctively react and do the right things as opposed to thinking it out and being mechanical about it.”

The Tigers’ staff talked up Harris in a big way during the offseason, dubbing him the next great player for “D-Line Zou,” the moniker used to describe a recent run of elite pass-rushing talent.

So, was last week’s performance Harris’ coming-out party?

“I don’t know what to call it, but it was a little somethin’-somethin’,” he said.

It’s been a meteoric rise for Harris — a lightly recruited, under-the-radar 2013 prospect who literally committed to Missouri on signing day — but the Tigers’ coaches sensed it coming.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy come in here as a freshman and have his work ethic and attitude and be able to maintain the entire time that he has,” Kuligowski said. “The last guy that reminded me of him is Ziggy Hood in terms of, ‘Man, this guy does everything right all the time.’ We love having him on our team.”

Even though Harris was redshirting in 2013, Kuligowski remembers Harris spending his weekends inside Devine Pavilion working on pass-rush moves or squeezing in an extra workout.

Harris’ work ethic remains the stuff of legend around Missouri.

“He’s in there lifting weights right now,” Pinkel said during Monday’s news conference. “He’s not supposed to be lifting right now, but he’s in there lifting weight right now, and that’s the way he is. He’s a remarkable young man. … He’s got a chance to be a great player.”

When junior defensive tackle Harold Brantley was injured in a car wreck in June, Harris assumed the mantle of leadership for a young defensive line group.

“He’s the guy that sets the standard in terms of work ethic,” Kuligowski said. “... I don’t think I want to reel that part in. He’s been pretty good. He’s really been just very focused. If he can remain very focused, the sky’s the limit. … I don’t think he’s at the Aldon level right now yet, but with his work ethic and everything, there’s no limit to what he’ll be able to do.”

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Big game by Mizzou’s Charles Harris impresses others, if not Harris."