DANIELE FRANCESCHI – ARGOS ADMIRALS INSIDER
TORONTO – Argonauts third-year quarterback Trevor Harris isn’t afraid to admit that he is a “mama’s boy”. The distinction comes as a unique form of affirmation for the 28-year-old Waldo, Ohio native. In 2009, Harris’ mom, Suzanne, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Understandably, her grim diagnosis cast a dark cloud over the Harris family. Trevor, who was just 22 years old at the time, learned of his mother’s illness while preparing for his senior season at Edinboro University.
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#CFLPink |
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Ray named CFL Offensive Player of the Week |
“I was doing some field work and I received a text message saying, ‘You need to call us.’ I called my mom and she was in tears. She said that she had been diagnosed with stage three cancer,” recalled Harris. “My jaw dropped because at that point in my life I had never encountered adversity in terms of real-life situations. When she told me, it was really an eye-opener and I didn’t really know what to do. It was a tough moment.”
Immediately following the diagnosis, Harris’ mother underwent a successful surgery to remove her lymphnodes. Shortly thereafter, she began chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Despite his mother’s illness, Harris elected to suit up for his final collegiate campaign. By season’s end, he had produced one of the most impressive statistical seasons in NCAA Division II football history. The six-foot-three, 209-pound pivot was selected as a finalist for the Harlon Hill MVP Trophy and also set an NCAA Division II single-game record with an astonishing 630 yards passing in his final game as a member of the Fighting Scots.
Rather than being discouraged on account of his mom’s illness, Harris used his mom’s battle with cancer as a means of motivation and inspiration. Amidst her health concerns, Harris’ mom made it a point of emphasis to attend every single game during her son’s senior season. Harris felt as though it was his responsibility to provide his mom with an outlet for her suffering, even if it happened to be for just three hours every week.
“She was a trooper,” stated Harris following Wednesday’s practice. “She never missed a game in my senior year (at Edinboro). I felt that it was my duty to provide an outlet for her and let her know that she raised a young man that is going to be focused on what she wanted me to do. Obviously, my mom was far more important than football, but she wanted me to focus on playing at a high level and continue the pursuit of my lifelong dream which was to play professional football.”
Upon graduating from Edinboro University in the spring of 2010, Harris earned a training camp tryout with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The strong-armed gunslinger survived the Jags’ initial roster cutdown but was ultimately released as part of the team’s final training camp cuts. Meanwhile, off the football field, Harris’ mom continued to endure spells of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Harris’ football struggles quickly became a distant memory as his mom officially ended her bout with cancer, conquering the terrible disease following nearly a year and a half of debilitating treatment.
“When I signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, she was still going through chemotherapy and radiation treatment. At one point, they told her that they didn’t know if she was going to live very long or if she was going to recover,” commented Harris. “After all of her chemo and radiation was completed, they did a PET scan and everything seemed to be clean. To this very day, she’s cancer free and she’s doing great.”
Harris’ mom travels to Toronto on a regular basis to watch her son suit up as a member of the Argonauts. Trevor is one of four children in the Harris clan. His younger brother, Cody, is currently in his senior season at Edinboro University. Interestingly, Cody replaced his older brother as the school’s starting quarterback. Trevor also has two older sisters.
Often times, Cody’s playing schedule conflicts with the Argonauts’ schedule. Typically, in those situations, Harris encourages his parents to attend his brother’s games rather than his own. According to Harris, there are two reasons why he opts to play second fiddle under those circumstances: 1) Cody is in his final year of college; and 2) He is the team’s starting quarterback.
“A lot of times we play on Saturdays and so does my brother, so I always tell my parents to lean towards going to Cody’s games because he’s a starter,” said Harris. “My mom has made it up to a quite a few games though. She enjoys watching both of us play.”
For Harris, his mom’s devastating health ordeal served as a crucial life lesson. The modest, fun-loving signal caller praises his mom’s everlasting enthusiasm and her positive outlook on life. Every day, Harris sets aside 5-10 minutes to call his parents and speak with his mom. She is truly his “guardian angel”. Harris is very grateful to say that his mom is a cancer survivor. She is definitely an advocate of cancer research. Through his own personal experiences, he has come to appreciate just how precious life can be.
“It may be a cliché but you can’t take life for granted,” declared Harris. “I call my mom everyday. I’ve had people say that I’m a mama’s boy. It doesn’t phase me. In fact, you are darn right I am! My mom is great. I love her to death. I don’t take her for granted and I appreciate our relationship.”
“Through the process, I’ve learned to not be afraid to tell the ones that you love that you love them. I think there’s a life lesson for everybody going through that,” added Harris. “I think football players feel that they’re too manly to express love to others. Truthfully, it’s okay to be grateful and it’s okay to care.”
Over the course of the next couple weeks, players will be sporting pink gloves, cleats, and wristbands as part of the league’s annual CFL Pink initiative, which raises awareness and funds in support of women’s cancers.
Saturday afternoon’s game against the Montreal Alouettes will mark Harris’ third career “Pink” game. The Argos’ backup field general feels honoured and privileged to don such symbolic colours in support of a worthy cause.
“These games definitely take on a special meaning for me, especially considering the fact that we’re raising awareness for women’s cancers,” said Harris. “It is important to be mindful of how to detect cancer. We were fortunate enough that my mom found her cancer in time. She felt swelling and it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. She wasn’t even worried about it. Special occasions such as this reinforce just how precious life can be.”