Ryan Harris Offensive Tackle Notre Dame 9th Season Who is your football mentor or inspiration?I had a lot growing up in Minnesota. I watched a lot of football players, Cris Carter and John Randle. Those were some big time guys that I watched growing up. But really Aaron Taylor, the tackle for Notre Dame, took me under his wing and has been my mentor for the last 12-13 years and it's been a tremendous help.
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What motivates you? **Just improving every day, being able to say you're the best. Holding up that trophy after this amount of time. Finally being able to hold that Lombardi Trophy when I was with the Broncos last season and know that part of it is mine. It fulfills me and makes every sacrifice and failure over time worth it.
What is your football mindset?I want to be a pro. This is my craft. Doing the little things that help create big successes is a lot of what I do every day. Just picking up the shovel and going to work.
Why do you play football?It's great. From the beginning for me football was the best thing I'd ever done. It was cool to be big and it gave me an opportunity. Whether that's winning a championship, winning a road game, providing for my family. It continues to give me great joy playing this game.
What is your proudest football moment or memory?Holding that Lombardi Trophy last year. I always believed I was a champion. I had never won a big championship in college or in the pros yet. To finally get that it was tremendous.
When you hear Steelers football, what do you think?Consistent. Excellence. Dominance over a long period of time. And I couldn't be happier to be a part of this culture right now.What do you like about Pittsburgh?There's a lot to like. Clearly the restaurant scene is something that is fun to go after and seek out. I like the guys here. It's a blue-collar town. I'm from a blue-collar city in St. Paul, Minnesota. Everybody on this team is willing to work. I found that out already and that's probably the best thing so far.
What do you think about Steelers fans?Very positive, very excited. They are all throughout the country. It is great to be a part of such a positive force that supports the team.
