(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Najee Harris needs just 16 yards on Monday night to reach 1,000 yards rushing on the season. Harris isn't thrilled with being on the heels of the accomplishment, however, as he's averaging 3.7 yards per carry and the Steelers rank 29th in rushing, averaging 87.6 yards per game. Harris views it as an "ugly" 1,000 yards.
"I think it’s a good milestone but I don’t know if it will really mean something the way I got the 1,000 yards," Harris said. "It’s an ugly 1,000 yards, I guess you could say. But I don’t know."
Harris has 335 total touches this season and ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing and leads all rookies with 1,406 yards from scrimmage, which is the most in team history for a rookie. Harris also needs just 71 yards to break Franco Harris' team rookie rushing record, which was set in 1972 during a 14-game schedule. Najee Harris has already set the rookie record in franchise history for receptions with 67 catches this season.
"When you’re there and in the moment, you just want to do more than just have 1,000 yards," Harris said. "It’s how you go about the 1,000 yards that’s different than you imagined. Now I’m here and I’m close to it, I don’t know if it’s the same."
Even though Harris has higher expectations for himself, he believes the experience and heavy workload from this season will help him in the years to come.
"I think one thing I can take away is the amount of film I’ve got to improve on from last year. That’s the one good thing about having 1,000 yards," Harris said. "There’s a lot of plays I can get better at. There’s a lot of film I have for myself. I can improve a lot better. I don’t think it’s so much about the yards as it is the plays I can get better at."
Comments