Demetrius Harris took a path to the NFL that was once seen as unorthodox, but is becoming more common in recent years.
Harris turned college basketball into professional football.
It's not the first time a college hooper has pivoted to football, but it might be the first that happened mainly via word of mouth. Take it from Browns general manager John Dorsey, who was tipped off to the existence of Harris while in the lobby of a hotel back when he was working for the Green Bay Packers.
"We were down at Little Rock, Arkansas, and we're at the Peabody Hotel," Dorsey recalled during a Thursday appearance on Cleveland Browns Daily. "We're sitting in the lobby, and it was myself, (former Packers GM) Ted Thompson and I think (current Seahawks GM) John Schneider was there, too. We were at an all-star game, it was the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Game back then.
"We were just sitting there after practice and we just had conversation and those guys left and next thing you know, there was a gentleman who I started talking to and we started talking and ... he goes 'you know, there's a player that plays basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He was an all-state wide receiver and he could've gone anywhere in the SEC to play football.'
"So I said 'what's his name?' And he goes 'it's Demetrius Harris.' So I wrote it down in my Franklin planner and two years later it popped up, the date of the Franklin planner pops it up. And then, now I was with Kansas City, so I sent a scout out there to work him out because I knew he was a mid-major basketball guy. So then you send the scout out there to work him out and the guy's 6-5, he's about 250, he's running 4.53, 4.54 and I'm just going 'OK boys, we're going to sign this one as a college free agent.' And so what you did is we signed him and you basically give him a redshirt year and put him on the practice squad and let him develop for a year.
Take a look at photos of three of the newest Browns: tight end Demetrius Harris, offensive lineman Eric Kush and linebacker Adarius Taylor.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris (84) is chased by New York Jets wide receiver Jalin Marshall (89) as he runs for a touchdown after a New York Jets fumble for a turnover, during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Adarius Taylor (53) on the field during warms up prior to NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers won in overtime 26-23. (Perry Knotts via AP)
Los Angeles Rams center Eric Kush (60) during a preseason NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris (84) catches a touchdown pass in front of Denver Broncos safety Darian Stewart (26) during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Adarius Taylor (53) in coverage during a week 11 NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018 in East Rutherford, N.J. New York won 38-35. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Chicago Bears center Eric Kush (64) in action during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Chicago. The Bears defeated the Seahawks, 24-17. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Center Eric Kush #60 during the Los Angeles Rams OTA on Friday, June 10, 2016 in Oxnard, Calif. (Ric Tapia via AP)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris runs against the New England Patriots during an NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. (Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Adarius Taylor (53) waits for the snap during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018 in Chicago. (Greg Trott via AP)
Los Angeles Rams running back Chase Reynolds (34) and Los Angeles Rams center Eric Kush (60) during a NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos on Saturday, Aug. 27th, 2016 in Denver. (Peter Read Miller via AP)
In the rain, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris (84) gestures during the second half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Adarius Taylor, left, tackles Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Victores)
Chicago Bears center Eric Kush (64) in the first half during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris (84) makes a touchdown catch against Green Bay Packers safety Jermaine Whitehead (35) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Adarius Taylor (53) celebrates with linebacker Cameron Lynch (52) and cornerback David Rivers (37) after intercepting a pass by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Chicago Bears center Eric Kush (64) and offensive tackle Charles Leno (72) block during a week 2 NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 in Chicago. Chicago won 24-17. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2018, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris (84) scores against the Oakland Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game, in Oakland, Calif. A person familiar with the deal says the Cleveland Browns and free agent tight end Demetrius Harris have agreed to a two-year contract. Harris, who backed up Pro Bowler Travis Kelce in Kansas City, will be added to the roster when the NFL free agency signing period begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, 2019, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because teams are not permitted to announce any moves until later. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron, File)
Kansas City Chiefs center Eric Kush (64) prepares to snap the football during an NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on December 29, 2013. The Chargers defeated the Chiefs 27-24 in overtime. (AP Photo/Kevin Terrell)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris (84) runs away from Oakland Raiders safety Karl Joseph (42) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Chiefs center Eric Kush arrives at NFL football training camp Friday, July 31, 2015, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris (84) celebrates with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, right rear, after scoring against the Oakland Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
"What he's done is phenomenal because he's gone from basketball player to where he is today. And he's a professional football player now and that's a credit to him."
Harris' name likely popped up during Dorsey's stay in Little Rock because the tight end is a native of Jacksonville, Arkansas, a town just north of Little Rock. And as the man Dorsey met in Little Rock said, Harris had some experience with a football, catching nine touchdown passes (to go along with 738 yards) and recording four interceptions at safety as a senior at Jacksonville High School, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. He even went so far as signing to play football at Arkansas State before a failure to qualify academically diverted his course to UW-Milwaukee.
Granted a second chance to pursue his NFL dreams, Harris took advantage of the professional redshirt year and blossomed in his third, fourth and fifth seasons, finding the end zone five times in that span while recording 47 of his career 57 receptions. All but 94 of his 605 career receiving yards came in that stretch of time, all spent playing alongside (or behind) star Travis Kelce.
"I just learned so much from Kelce" Harris said Thursday. "That's my guy. We're close. And he learned stuff from me. We built a strong relationship over the years. We actually came in the league together, but he was drafted and I was undrafted. We were always roommates at away games, so we built a strong relationship.
"(Cleveland is) most definitely a better opportunity. I just wanted a fresh start. I felt like I needed a fresh start. I'm just ready to start this new chapter."
