The Raiders will play an unusual home game in Canada Thursday night against the Packers, but one member of the team is actually making a homecoming of sorts.
Safety Erik Harris spent time in the Canadian Football League before making it to the NFL. He had to prove himself after attending California University in Pennsylvania, a Division II school.
Harris persevered and signed a two-year contract with the Raiders in March, worth a guaranteed $2.5 million. While in Canada, he was a standout for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Harris also worked at a potato chip factory after being undrafted and overcame a torn ACL during his brief time with the Saints before landing in Oakland.
As a Raider, Harris is as special teams standout, but he’s being pushed by safety Curtis Riley for playing time in a crowded position group. He’ll likely get plenty of snaps in Winnipeg, and since he knows Canada better than most, he may have a slight home-field advantage against the Packers.
