De Smet QB Knows About Making The Most Of Opportunities

Like the sports world in general, the prep sports arena regularly writes stories about success achieved despite adversity. For all the attention lavished on the in 2011, with Division I college talent at several positions, the club finds itself in a must-win road game Friday. A victory against Mehlville sends De Smet into the playoffs and a chance to try and avenge last week's

All of this would call for a heavy dose of pressure on the Spartans' junior signal caller, Conner Harrison. But all Harrison has to do is look at his family for inspiration about taking real advantage of opportunity.

Harrison's brother Cooper, now a De Smet freshman, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004. He spent a month in the hospital, and endured chemotherapy for more than two years. The cancer went into remission in 2007 and he's been considered "cured" since last year.

“It’s joyous, glorious, and a relief,” Harrison said. “You have to owe everything to God. I feel like he’s kept me here and I’m so blessed.”

Cooper’s mother, said it was tough seeing someone so young have to deal with such a burden. “When he was going through treatment he hardly ever complained,” Connie Harrison said. “He only complained one time when he was in the hospital and wanted to go home.”

Harrison was active in baseball, basketball, golf, and soccer when he was growing up. He started playing football in sixth grade. He even continued to compete while being treated for leukemia.“I couldn’t push myself harder back then, I had to take more breaks,” Cooper Harrison said. “And I was more fragile to contact.” But his mother said he would not be deterred. “He never told us that he couldn’t do something,” Connie Harrison said. “He tried very hard in everything he did. He never wanted to miss school or sports.”    

Cooper Harrison currently plays wide receiver on the freshman football team. It's a position switch for the former middle school cornerback. It's also a switch he's happy to make, considering he has hopes of catching passes from his brother, who he has called "a real inspiration" next year.

“He’s always been there for me and kept me up,” Cooper Harrison said. “He’s always been a great guy...He’s two years older than me and I’ve never had the opportunity to play with him.” 

"It would be awesome,” Cooper said.

Conner says “it’s a privilege” to watch his brother play.

“The fact that I’m still living with him, he could easily not be here by now,” Conner Harrison said. “The opportunity that he has is once in a lifetime because he has a second chance.”