METAIRIE, La. (AP) -Rod Harper couldn’t contain himself.
The end zone was in sight, no one was going to catch him, and for a guy who was playing small-time arena football in Arkansas only a few months ago, an NFL touchdown on a 79-yard punt return was a big deal – even in the preseason.
“I’ve never really been a showboat-type of guy,” Harper said of his high-stepping finish to his TD return against Houston on Saturday night, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. “It’s just something that kind of happened.”
It’s not as if Harper wasn’t used to scoring touchdowns. Playing for the Arkansas Twisters in the arena2 league, Harper had 38 touchdowns through the first eight games of the 2009 season, which caught the attention of scouts around the NFL, including the Saints pro scouting director Ryan Pace.
rs he was putting up in this Arena Football2 league,” coach Sean Payton said. “He was off to a real good start. We saw some film. We brought him in for a workout. He handled the workout pretty well and he’s just competed now and worked hard. He’s done a good job.”
Harper left the Twisters in midseason to join New Orleans, which was already deep at receiver. Yet with acrobatic catches and his latest special teams highlight, Harper is making a case that he belongs.
In the Saints’ preseason-opening victory over Cincinnati on Aug. 14, Harper caught passes from Mark Brunell of 35 and 13 yards late in the third quarter.
On the second catch, he soared between two defenders to grab a hard throw over the middle. He got to the 2-yard line, nearly scoring what would have been his first touchdown on a 100-yard field since he starred at Murray State in 2007.
That would have to wait until he got a chance to return a punt in the third quarter at Houston on Saturday, a play that showcased his acceleration coming out of a cut, as he ran away from pursuit while angling from one sideline to the other.
and things like that.”
Harper joined the Saints primarily as a receiver and was given a chance to work his way into the rotation as a punt returner in the past couple weeks.
After Harper’s touchdown return, he said Payton told him: “Great play, but dumb penalty.”
“But he was smiling,” Harper added, “so I don’t think he was too mad.”
Harper said veteran fullback Heath Evans also congratulated him, but added, “I need to take you somewhere.”
“So he drags me down the sideline,” Harper continued. “We go all the way down to the 15 and at that point I didn’t even know we had a penalty. Then he’s like, ‘That penalty’s on you and this is where we’re going to have to kick the ball off.”’
Harper said Payton told him it’s the last time he can commit such a penalty without being fined by the team, and Harper was relieved to get off with a warning. In af2, he said players were paid $250 a week when they won, $200 when they lost.
After victories, he recalled, “We’d go around cheering about the $50 win bonus in the locker room.”
At training camp, Harper said he earns more than $800 a week, which may seem like a pittance to some NFL players but looks pretty good to him for now. In 2008, he was signed by Green Bay as an undrafted rookie, but was waived before training camp.
t Green Bay, I was unprepared,” Harper said. “Coming to arena2 before coming here, I was in shape. I was used to a game that was real fast … so I feel like it prepared me well, and being on a small field and being able to make catches in traffic, when I came back to the big field, it really helped me.”
If he doesn’t make the Saints’ 53-man regular-season roster, Harper would be eligible for the practice squad. He’d prefer the former, of course, but he’s not about to complain about either.
“It’s definitely a long ways from arena2 – different pay and also the talent – but it’s really a dream,” Harper said. “I’m having a blast.”
Add A Comment