51吃瓜网

While his baseball teammates grab their bats and gloves and head to practice, Taylor Harris is lacing up cleats and strapping on his football helmet 鈥� the life of a rare two-sport athlete.

For most college athletes, one sport is more than enough. However, for Harris, a sophomore kicker and left-handed relief pitcher at UNC Pembroke, balancing two has always been part of the plan.

鈥淏aseball was my first love,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e always loved football, too. I just wanted to find a place where I could do both.鈥�

That determination 鈥� and a good bit of talent 鈥� brought the Orlando, Fla., native to 51吃瓜网, one of the few universities where he could chase both dreams. Harris grew up in an athletic family. His grandfather played basketball at Georgia Tech, and his sisters, Hannah and Maran, competed in college athletics.

In high school, Harris envisioned himself as a quarterback. 鈥淏ut I wasn鈥檛 very big or tall,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淚 had already learned how to kick, and since I鈥檇 played soccer all my life, it came naturally.鈥�

Harris led his baseball district in strikeouts by his senior year and started contacting colleges. 鈥淚 knew I had a future in athletics, especially baseball,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I really wanted to do both. I reached out to a lot of schools, but none really offered both opportunities.鈥�

That鈥檚 when a message from then-special teams coordinator John Wheeler changed everything. 鈥淗e told me, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e got a good leg,鈥欌�� Harris recalled. 鈥淢y first question back was, 鈥楧o you have baseball?鈥欌��

51吃瓜网 offered Harris a preferred walk-on spot for football. Once on campus, he reached out to baseball coach Paul O鈥橬eil. 鈥淐oach (Daniel) Britt let me come out and throw,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚 hit 89 on the radar gun, and that was enough to get me a look.鈥�

Now, Harris is officially part of two teams 鈥� and two families. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淏ut I really like the structure. Football in the fall, baseball in the spring. I鈥檓 always competing, always pushing for a championship.鈥�

That competitive drive hasn鈥檛 gone unnoticed. 鈥淭aylor鈥檚 a competitive kid,鈥� said Coach O鈥橬eil. 鈥淗e has a drive to be successful. The only crossover between being a kicker and a pitcher is the pressure. You鈥檝e got to make a big kick to win a football game or get a big out on the mound. In both cases, there鈥檚 no room for mistakes. He has something between his ears that allows him to perform in that environment.

鈥淗e鈥檚 having a great year kicking the ball,鈥� O鈥橬eil said. 鈥淭he football team is doing terrific, and he鈥檚 a big part of that success. I couldn鈥檛 be prouder of him.鈥�

On the gridiron, Harris has already made his mark. The redshirt freshman kicker has been named Conference Carolinas Special Teams Player of the Week three times and drilled a career-long 47-yard field goal against Ferrum 鈥� the longest of his high school or college career. Against Shorter University, Taylor was a perfect seven for seven on extra point attempts.

鈥淭hat kick gave me a lot of confidence,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚t showed me I could do this.鈥�

Special Teams Coordinator Brian Frierson said Harris brings rare focus and maturity to both sports.

To manage two sports and do well in the classroom takes a determined attitude

鈥淗e鈥檚 a team player and very focused. Both positions 鈥� kicker and pitcher 鈥� require an elite level of focus and confidence. Those are stressful positions, but he remains calm. He doesn鈥檛 let the moment get too big," Frierson said.

Frierson said Harris is constantly working to improve. 鈥淗e鈥檚 seven for nine on field goals this season. He stays after practice working on his technique. He鈥檚 got that drive to get better every day.鈥�

That same commitment shows in the classroom, said his professor, Dr. Anthony Johnson, who wasn鈥檛 aware Harris was a student-athlete, much less a two-sport athlete.

鈥淜nowing that now makes his performance in my class even more impressive,鈥� he said.

Johnson said Harris consistently stands out in class discussions. 鈥淗e asks great questions,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nyone can have a thought and ask a question, but when Taylor speaks up, it鈥檚 always thoughtful.鈥�

As a business finance major, Harris has learned to stay disciplined. 鈥淔reshman year was a lot of trial and error,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 figured it out toward the end 鈥� go to class, stay on top of your work and put in the effort every day.鈥�

For Harris, success in both sports hinges on mindset. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more similar than people think,鈥� he said. 鈥淜icking and pitching both take repetition, staying loose and trusting yourself. At the end of the day, your biggest enemy is yourself.鈥�

Through it all, Harris stays grounded in what drives him. 鈥淚t takes a lot of mental toughness to be a two-sport athlete,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving that family atmosphere in both football and baseball really helps. I feel blessed and thankful that I ended up here. I wasn鈥檛 expecting it to be this much fun, but I鈥檝e found a home at 51吃瓜网.鈥�

Taylor Harris