Harris to play college football at EOU

Lake Roosevelt senior Elijah Harris has verbally committed to play football at Eastern Oregon University, where an athletic scholarship will help pay the cost of attending college.

"They are giving me a huge opportunity," Harris said. "It is a great school and has the academics that I am looking for. I would like to get my English degree and then my master's in teaching."

EOU was already interested in Harris, and when his former LR football coach, Loren Endsley, went there to be the offensive line coach and run game coordinator, Endsley took on the recruiting role.

"I feel like EOU is the perfect place for him to develop the skills needed to be a college football player," Endsley said. "On top of that, we have great academic standards that will help Elijah achieve his career goals in the classroom. That is really what he is coming to college for, to get the degree; playing football is just a bonus. He has a great work ethic and a desire to always get better."

Harris impressed the coaches at EOU at a football camp over the summer, earning himself a scholarship offer.

"I loved the atmosphere they had when I went down to camp," Harris said. "That was the final selling point for myself. I had a lot of other schools interested, but Eastern Oregon was the clear favorite."

The Mountaineers made it to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament semi-finals last season.

"The Eastern Oregon University football program is a perfect fit for Elijah," Endsley said. "He is a raw athlete that has a lot of developing still to do."

Endsley noted that, at 6-5 and 225 pounds, Harris "possesses extremely quick feet and hands, which is crucial for a lineman."

It is still to be decided which side of the ball Harris will be playing on, offense or defense.

"I'm impartial," Harris said. "I would play on either side. Just depends on where the team needs me to play."

"He could become an extremely good player on either side of the ball," Endsley said.

Either way, Endsley will be working with Harris in one form or another, but Harris would have to pack on some more pounds to play the offensive line that Endsley coaches.

Endsley, himself, started four years for EOU playing as an offensive lineman.

Endsley also has his eyes on recruiting a couple more of his former Raider athletes - juniors Steven Flowers and Tony Nichols.

"Both show amazing potential and ability," Endsley said.