Going round and round

So what are 1,900 yards worth these days, exactly?

In a week’s time, Jerome Harrison will have an answer to that question.

Harrison, who burst onto the national scene with his All-American senior season at Washington State University last fall, figures to be the top pick among local college products next weekend at the NFL draft.

“This is what you play the sport for, for everything that you’ve worked for to pay off. And it’s going to pay off in about a week,” Harrison said from his home in Kalamazoo, Mich. “I get nervous at night. I don’t really worry about it too much during the day because I’m with family and friends.”

Even though he’ll be the highest pick from the area, his ability to toy with Pac-10 defenses doesn’t guarantee him a slot on Day 1, when the first three rounds will take place. Harrison figures to be taken in the third or fourth round, meaning he’ll probably spend most of Saturday wondering if he’ll be waiting one additional day before learning his professional fate. (There is a chance he could go in the second round.)

With his cell phone by his side, Harrison said he doesn’t plan to watch the draft. He figures when the time comes, he’ll find out soon enough without listening to Mel Kiper Jr. all day long.

“I’m going to go bowling first, then I’m going to go play pool,” he said. “I’m going to spend the day with my family.”

Harrison isn’t considered the draft prospect that some of his conference compatriots are – USC’s Reggie Bush and LenDale White, most notably – because of questions about his size and speed.

Harrison stands less than 5-foot-10 and even after bulking up this off-season barely tips the scale at 200 pounds.

While his 4.47-second 40-yard dash time at the scouting combine relieved some concerns about his breakaway ability, Harrison didn’t often separate from defenders using pure speed in games.

Given those perceived shortcomings, most scouts project him as a third-down back, and possibly a punt and kick returner. That means a premium has been placed on his ability to catch passes, block on the edges and be a versatile threat.

Harrison still thinks big things lie ahead, even if his career begins as a role player.

“Eventually I will become an every-down back,” he maintained. “Some teams I’ve talked to say third-down back. Some teams realize I carried the ball over 300 times and realize that my size and that stuff don’t really matter.”

Harrison might have a point. The NFL – past and present – is littered with lower draft choices who have had successful careers at running back. One-time Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis was a sixth-round pick. Future Hall of Famer Curtis Martin was a third-round selection. Corey Dillon has had a long, productive career as a second-rounder out of Washington. Clinton Portis was also a second-round pick.

Of course, plenty of other runners have been selected from the first pick (Ki-Jana Carter) to the last (James Finn), only to have careers that couldn’t even be called mediocre.

Be he Bush, Harrison or any other, though, and the same can be said: They haven’t gained a yard in the pros.

“I don’t pay attention to where a lot of guys came from,” Harrison said. “All I know is a lot of smaller backs my size are having a lot of success right now in the NFL. That’s all that matters. I’ve trained hard enough where I’m going to be successful wherever I go.”