WESTFIELD, Ind. – Colts fans became accustomed to seeing Marvin Harrison catch passes over his 13-year Hall-of-Fame career. On Wednesday night, Harrison reversed his role, throwing autographed mini footballs into the crowd that packed the stands at Grand Park.
As Harrison slung souvenirs, though, you could still see a Marvin Harrison catch some balls. It was just Marvin Harrison Jr., the 2024 No. 4 overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals, who the Colts invited to Westfield for two joint practices this week.
"It's kind of crazy. First joint practice against the Colts, who would've thought that," Harrison Jr. said. "It's definitely really special. I'm just super glad to be here and get to work."
Harrison Jr. was born in August of 2002, and has some fuzzy memories of watching his dad win Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears as a four-and-a-half-year-old in 2007. He remembers a game against Baltimore – a guess is it was Harrison's final multi-touchdown game of his career, which came against the Ravens in 2008 – but not many other specifics.
Other than, of course, his dad was really, really good at football.
"I was still very young, so the images aren't very clear, but I remember a little bit," Harrison Jr. said. "Obviously my dad had a great career here, so I was glad I could be there to support him in those times."
Harrison Jr. said hello to a few folks at practice – Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James was in attendance, as was, of course, Reggie Wayne – and while he was recognized partly as the son of a franchise legend, he's impossible to miss as one of the NFL's most promising receiving talents.
Harrison Jr. was the first non-quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, owing to a dominant college career at Ohio State and a sterling scouting profile. Over his final two seasons with the Buckeyes, Harrison caught 144 passes for 2,474 yards with 28 touchdowns; most analysts had Harrison or quarterback Caleb Williams as their highest-rated prospect in this year's draft.
While Harrison Jr.'s bloodlines are impossible to not notice on the back of his jersey, he's his own player – and proved that during his time at Ohio State.
"I definitely had to make my own path," Harrison Jr. said. "I think I've made it at this point (and) have made my own path. Just continue to work hard and see where it takes me."
In every other NFL city, Harrison Jr. will be his own person and his own player. But whenever Harrison Jr. will come to Indianapolis, he'll jog on to the field at Lucas Oil Stadium and will nearly literally play in the shadow of his father, whose name is permanently adorned on the building in the Colts Ring of Honor.
"Seeing his name up there will be special," Harrison Jr. said, "especially as a player."
So when Saturday night's Colts-Cardinals preseason game rolls around – and when the Colts host the Cardinals in the 2025 regular season – it'll be significant for not only Harrison Jr., but every fan in the stands old enough to remember watching his dad snag touchdowns from Peyton Manning in downtown Indianapolis.
Even if Harrison Jr. will be wearing Cardinals red instead of the Colts' blue he had plenty of as a kid.
"(I had) a lot," Harrison Jr. smiled, "but I grew out of it. All of it at this point."
