NFL
By: William Carroll
William Carroll: I have had the pleasure of watching your career from your time at Indiana State University and Colorado School of Mines. What would you say are the 5 biggest and best lessons you’ve learned on your journey?
Isaac Harker:
1. Tough times are outlasted by tough people.
2. The journey is just as satisfying as the destination.
3. Hard work has never been regretted.
4. Don’t let anyone outwork you.
5. Never apologize for attacking.
WC: The next question, you played for 3 years of varsity at Lebanon High School, what was that program like and what kind of coach was he?
IH: The program was run based on discipline and military-like in many ways because the head coach had a background there. He expected the most from his players on and off the field and I’m thankful for that.
WC: Who were your major rivals in High School and College?
IH: Western Boone was our rival in high school. At Indiana State, our rival was Illinois State. Colorado School of Mines’ rival was Colorado State University-Pueblo.
WC: Your home area is loaded with talent, who are some of the best players you played with or against while you were in college, high school or growing up?
IH: At Indiana State, we played against a lot of supreme talent but the best player I faced there was Derek Rivers of Youngstown State. At Colorado School of Mines Darius Williams of CSU-Pueblo was the best player I faced.
WC: What was your recruitment process like, who was interested and how did you choose your school?
IH: I didn’t have many offers coming out of high school and was a preferred walk-on initially to Indiana State. I chose ISU [Indiana State], because I felt the coaching staff would give me a fair shot in an offensive system I liked a lot.
WC: What was the best game and the biggest play you made as a high school player?
IH: Against Plainfield in the first round of the playoffs, I ran a 65-yard touchdown in the first quarter that jump-started the offense.
WC: What was your big “Welcome to College Football” Moment?
IH: Against Youngstown State my red-shirt freshmen year I tried to truck a linebacker and got stood up in the hole with a hard hit and realized that had never happened to me before.
WC: What is your current height/weight and what are your testing numbers?
IH: 6’0” 195 lbs.
WC: How have the systems and staffs at your school impacted your development?
IH: I have started at the college level for 3 different offensive coordinators with 3 different playbooks. This really helped with my development because it taught me how to pick up offenses quickly and learn new verbiage.
WC: Which coaches have had the greatest impact on you and why?
IH: Coach Sheppard from Indiana State and Coach Fulton from School of Mines have had the biggest impact on me. Coach Sheppard instilled a quarterback’s mindset into me in my time in his offense. Coach Fulton helped me grow as a person and as a player.
WC: How hard was to adjust to the verbiage, system, and play-book and when did you feel 100% comfortable?
IH: I feel that I have a knack for picking up new offenses and verbiage. I felt 100% comfortable in all 3 offenses once I had taken enough practice reps.
WC: Who have been your favorite teammates, and why?
IH: Robert Tonyan Jr. from Indiana State was one of my favorite teammates because he was always willing to put in extra work to get better and helped instill confidence in me as a young quarterback. Brody Oliver from School of Mines was another of my favorite teammates because our sense of humor aligns well and we can have fun but work hard at the same time.
WC: Who have been your favorite opponents and why?
IH: My favorite opponents change from year to year because I revel in facing the best competition in the conference.
WC: If you could put together a list of your favorite players to watch or emulate, who is on that list and why?
IH: Drew Brees is at the top of the list and has been since middle school. We both have similar statures and I want to emulate his footwork and accuracy the best that I can. Kirk Cousins is also on the list because I love his fiery intensity on the field.
WC: What NFL teams are your favorites and why?
IH: The Saints are my favorite team because I love watching their high-powered offense and Drew Brees is my favorite player. I also like the Colts because growing up in Indianapolis I have a special connection with the franchise.
WC: Which NFL players do you think your game most closely resembles and why?
IH: I try and emulate Drew Brees’ style of play the best I can. We are both considered undersized for the position but work ethic and understanding the mental side helps overcome the size.
WC: When football is over what would you like to do with your education?
IH: When football is over, I want to either become a forecaster/analyst for the oil market or go into coaching with an emphasis on the quarterback position.
WC: Finally, if you could go back in time to talk to 17-year-old you, what would you tell him?
IH: I would tell him to just keep working hard, you will run into tough times through football but they’ll help you grow and become a better person in the end.
WC: And what would you do differently if you could do it all over again?
IH: I wouldn’t do anything differently, I think I’m here for a reason.
WC: What [if any] is/are your nickname[s] and how did you get it/them
IH: Hark Daddy has been my nickname since redshirt freshman year at Indiana State. Robert Tonyan gave me the nickname when I first started to see the field towards the end of the year and it has just stuck with me ever since.
