BY ROB HOWE

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Jermari Harris’ inner peace belies his life experiences. The ability to stay on task and turn adversity into production has him on the doorstep of his dream.

A Chicago South-Sider, Harris is being taken through the NFL Draft Combine paces this week in Indianapolis. He’s being poked, prodded and interrogated. He’s prepared.

Harris spent six seasons at Iowa, earning All-Big Ten recognition in 2024.The program has churned out difference-making defensive backs for years. The league knows that.

Critics denounced him for opting out of last year’s final two regular-season games. Harris understood it, yet felt no regret. The decision was made through deep thought, a skill cultivated during a lifetime already stuffed with hard choices.

The NFL will dig into every aspect of his life. Some teams may dismiss Harris for not completing his final season. Others will focus on his talent and the answers he provides during interviews.

Harris will impress interviewers with his personality and what he’s accomplished in uneven circumstances. They’ll see a toughness and resiliency that is admirable.

SURE-HANDED HARRIS

Johnada Jenkins arrived home at Chicago’s 103rd St. and King Drive to find her five-year old son running back and forth in front of the house. Jermari Harris was throwing the football up on the air and then darting to catch it again and again.

She peered at the front porch to find Quentin Harris, the boy’s father, watching from a chair. Jenkins wondered if he was lazy. Harris told her that the activity improved Jermari’s hands.

“(Quentin) would say, “Look at the boy’s hands. He has to do something with them,”” Jenkins recalled. “As I think about it today, that probably gave him the hands that he’s got.”

When Jermari’s coach at Montini Catholic, Mike Bukovsky, first watched him play, he noticed the balls skills and more.

“We saw great athleticism and great instincts that he had defensively to the ball,” Bukovsky said.

From the little boy playing catch by himself to lining up for Montini proved challenging beyond the field. Emerging successful from the South Side comes with more potential pitfalls than many people face in pursuing a better life. The odds of “making it out” are compromised by the environment.

A love of sports provided a pathway to peace. Jermari Harris competed in football, basketball, baseball and track.

Quentin wanted a career in baseball for his son. Jermari grew to prefer basketball. Football ended up making the decision for them.

AN OLD SOUL

As Jermari grew into a toddler and began revealing his characteristics, Jenkins gained an understanding of her son’s personality.

“We used to say that he’s been here before. He was just one of those kids that was wise. He was intuitive. He’s an old soul,” she said.

It’s served him well. He had an early understanding of Jenkins’ struggles, which led to family instability.

“Jermari is not where you’d expect him to be,” Jenkins said. “He came up with domestic addiction, bouncing around. He went to four different elementary schools.”

Without a cell phone until his sophomore year of high school, Harris remembers printing out Mapquest maps to navigate his way around Chicago. He began taking public transportation by himself when he was 11.

“At the time, I felt old. That’s just how the city is. You grow up fast out there,” Jermari said.

Harris started high school at Morgan Park, a member of the Chicago Public League. He and Jenkins were living with her parents. She considered the situation. The living conditions were cramped. The neighborhood was dangerous.

“I had a decision to make. Do I have my son at risk or have him live with another family at 16 years old?” Jenkins said.

Following his sophomore year at Morgan Park, Harris transferred to Montini. He lived with the Morrissey family for part of the time. He also made the two-hour commute from the South Side to Lombard on public transportation.

“I couldn’t afford Montini Catholic. People helped us. Nobody ever made me feel less than them. And I didn’t need a pity party. I showed up the best way that I could,” Jenkins said.

Despite focusing on basketball at Morgan Park, Harris seized his opportunity within a successful Montini football program. It included his housemate Matt Morrissey, who shined at Eastern Kentucky’s quarterback in ’24.

“From there, he just blossomed and really fell in love with football,” Bukovsky said of Harris.

The coach noticed Jermari’s old soul early on. It was an asset.

“His poise and maturity have always been evident to me,” Bukovsky said. “He always seemed to get things. He’s just always been very polished and calm as a human and a player. He’s a high-character guy.”

HIGH ON HAWKEYES

An all-stater as a prep senior, Ball State, Northern Illinois and some of the region’s top FCS programs offered Harris scholarships. Iowa jumped into his recruitment late in the process. It had landed defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson from Montini earlier in the decade.

While Harris appreciated the interest and opportunities from the other schools, as soon as the Hawkeyes got involved with him, his mind was made up.

“He told me he was going to Iowa before he had an offer,” Bukovsky said.

The Hawkeyes offered the scholarship in late January of 2019, he officially visited them on Feb. 1, verbally committed on Feb. 4 and signed his letter of intent on Feb. 6. He enrolled that June.

A few months later, Harris saw his college action playing at Iowa State as a true freshman. With weather delays, the game lasted almost six hours. Life already had prepared him for the adversity.

Harris improved throughout his college career. He started 28 games, including all 22 contests for which he was available during he last two years. He accumulated eight interceptions, 27 passes defended and 19 pass breakups. A Pick-6 against Troy in September was the first of his career.

Off of the field, there were mistakes made and injuries suffered. Harris missed all of ’22 following surgery. He was suspended for the first game of that season due to an OWI arrest. He was suspended for first two contests of ’23, punishment for being involved in a gambling investigation despite not being charged with a crime.

Harris regrets his errors and takes responsibility for them. He’s trying to use those experiences for growth.

“It starts with being brutally honest with yourself, breaking he situation down and learning from it. You can learn so much by paying attention,” he said. “It’s like a bad play. It’s already out there. Just don’t make the same mistake twice.”

He won’t make excuses even though tragedy struck during his third year at Iowa. Quentin Harris died unexpectedly on March 1, 2021 at the age of 44.

Jermari pushed forward through grief, the Hawkeyes receiving his best season in ’24. While inconsistent play occurred at one cornerback spot, he locked down his side of the field.

Harris served as a member of the team’s player council for four seasons, including the final three years. That could have played a role in the criticism of him opting out. The Hawkeyes had been eliminated from all championship and playoff possibilities at that point.

The school stated publicly that Harris was sidelined with an injury despite being cleared to play by team doctors. Head coach Kirk Ferentz offered a diplomatic take at the time.

“… You don’t know what kids are going through, what they played with, all of that. Everybody’s got different, you know, pain thresholds and different circumstances medically,” Ferentz said at the time.

Harris understood the blowback he received. He also stood by his decision.

“I was dealing with something that needed to be addressed in order to maximize the eight-week window to prepare (for the combine). I have to go out there and be the best version of myself on Feb. 27,” he said.

He also believed younger players on the team would be benefit from playing in his absence.

“That all factored into my decision. It’s not something I came up with overnight. It was definitely a calculated decision so it could be best for the team, for my family and, ultimately, myself,” Harris said.

“Every conversation I had about it ended in a hug. I’m at peace.”

Those discussions included family, friends, Iowa teammates and coaches.

FAMILY BUSINESS

Harris plans to buy Quentin an elaborate headstone when he achieves his dream of playing in the NFL. He thinks of his father often.

“Some of my earliest memories are hanging out with my dad. He taught me more than sports. He gave me street knowledge. He was a street cat. He’s a legend where we’re from. He was known as a smart, fearless, family man, the ultimate protector,” Jermari said, smiling from the warm memories.

Johnada taught him kindness. She encouraged her son to befriend as many people as he could, to help others.

“Both my parents gave me great common knowledge as a kid. All I had to do was listen,” he said.

It says a lot about Johnada and Quentin that they raised their son the right way in the midst of their personal struggles. It also gives Johnada more of a purpose watching Jermari achieve. It motivates her.

“I’ve fought my addiction to be free and clear and sober for three years,” she says. “There’s a stigma that comes with that. It’s not easy. By the grace of God, it took me seven years to get a year of sobriety.”

Armed with Quentin’s spirit and Johnada’s strength, Jermari’s head is in a great place as he works out for professional scouts. He feels prepared.

“It’s been quite the journey. I’ve been to a lot of places, and it’s all a blessing because it helped me become a well-rounded individual. My family, we from the hood. I’ve lived in a diverse culture. I’ve lived in a predominantly white culture. I’ve lived in predominantly Hispanic cultures. I’ve been able to attain qualities subconsciously from the great village that surrounds me,” he said.

“Of course I put the work in, but without the resources and opportunities from others, I wouldn’t have been able to showcase what I had to showcase in order to get to where I wanted to go. And all the experiences, good and bad, I’ve been able to learn from and they prepared me for this moment.”