In the realm of American football, the transition from college to the NFL is no easy feat. Every NFL rookie, regardless of their college success, must come to terms with the fact that they are not the center of the universe. This harsh reality hit Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hard on Sunday during his team’s 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Despite a strong performance at Ohio State that garnered him fourth place in the Heisman voting, Harrison struggled in his NFL debut, catching just one pass for four yards.
Reflecting on his disappointing start, Harrison shared his frustration with the media, acknowledging that his performance was not up to par. “I mean, obviously it wasn’t great. Definitely wasn’t what I expected, what I wanted to happen, what the team wanted to happen. Obviously, you wanted to come out with a victory and we didn’t do that,” Harrison said.
One factor that may have contributed to Harrison’s lackluster debut was his limited playing time in the preseason. He only saw action in three snaps during the Cardinals’ preseason game against the New Orleans Saints. The young wide receiver recognized that his lack of reps may have affected his performance on the field.
As the son of a Hall of Fame wide receiver, Harrison has big shoes to fill. Despite the challenges he faced in his first NFL game, Harrison remains determined to improve and make a name for himself in the league. Only time will tell if he can rise to the occasion and prove his critics wrong.
