 "Photo: Sam Grenadier")
After not being picked up by a team in the National Football League, former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell is headed North to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.
Now that he has the opportunity to show what he can do on a professional level, Harrell will compete against five other quarterbacks for the Roughriders, who are 2-0 so far this season
The starter for the Roughriders is former North Carolina quarterback Darian Durant, who has completed 36-of-59 passes for 518 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. His four picks tie him for first among CFL quarterbacks and his 78.2 passer rating is third lowest among those with more than 50 pass attempts.
Harrell will team up with former teammate and receiver Eric Morris. The Shallowater product is returning kicks and punts for the Roughriders while working to earn more reps as a receiver behind 2008 Rookie of the Year Weston Dressler.
Morris had 149 receptions, 1,538 yards and 18 touchdowns in has last two seasons as a Red Raider.
"It'll be fun," he said of reuniting with Harrell. "It'll be good to have a friend and someone I'm comfortable with and I've thrown so many balls with before in my life."
The 6-foot-2, 223-pound Harrell finished his career at Tech with 15,793 yards and 134 touchdowns - both NCAA records - and led his team to a historic No. 2 ranking while finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy voting last season.
In his final year, he threw for 5,111 yards and 45 touchdowns, earning him the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award, which is presented to the top senior quarterback.
Despite all that, he was skipped over in the 2009 NFL Draft before working out at rookie camp with the Cleveland Browns, who eventually cut ties with Harrell because of an overload at the quarterback position.
"It'll be a chance for him to get some good film and some quality players and hopefully in the end it'll benefit him and he'll have a shot in the NFL," Morris said. "If not, he's gonna be great in the offenses that we run up here and I think he'll have a lot of success."
Since Tech coach Mike Leach implemented his spread offense, Red Raider quarterbacks from Kliff Kingsbury to B.J. Symons to Cody Hodges have battled the "system quarterback" label that damages their credibility when it comes to playing in the NFL.
However, Harrell seems to have taken the most criticism and is the most surprising of Leach's quarterbacks to not receive a legitimate chance in the league considering all his accomplishments.
But after not being chosen in the draft either, Morris can see how Harrell was shut out.
"I was shocked (Harrell went undrafted) as far as the production that he put out at Tech and the numbers and how consistent he was there," Morris said. "But kind of after going through the process myself, not really. It's a tough business to get into to."
Morris said Harrell has proved his leadership and accuracy during the past three years and expects him to show up ready to compete and make plays.
"He'll do great up here," he said. "So really I think this is gonna be a good opportunity for him."
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