Posted on 02 October 2014.
The training wheels were off the bicycle and Donald Harrison was losing control of his 3-year-old son, Dominique. Having undergone the same teaching experience with his oldest son DJ, and his daughter Donisha, Donald planned on jogging alongside Dominique while maintaining complete control of the bike.
Dominique, or “Nique” as he’s commonly referred to, had other plans.
“He just took off riding,” Donald recalled. “And he’s been riding ever since.”
On that day in Tracy, California, Donald saw a glimpse of his son’s can-do, won’t-stop mentality. He saw it again eight years later when Dominique, now a junior defensive back at the University of Oregon, jumped into the pool at a family friend’s wedding reception without any previous swim lessons and easily treaded water.
Dominique’s innate ability to refute perception and skepticism by sticking to what he believes in, impresses his father.
“It’s things like that with Dominique where he just puts his mind to something and does what he has to do,” Donald said.
So when Dominique, a skinny freshman at Tracy High School, told Donald that he would eventually become a Division I football player, his father didn’t doubt him.
“He’s always thinking about what he wants to do and where he wants to go,” Donald said. “He has that inner drive that you can’t teach. He just has it.”
The coaches at Tracy High school still find it hard to believe that it was Dominique who made it.
“This is still kind of crazy for us to handle,” Tracy High School head coach Matt Shrout said. “It still trips me out that it’s him.”
With a charisma that could light up any conversation, Dominique made sure that everyone knew of his aspirations and plans to play major college football. His confidence in his football ability was obvious.
“He’s always had confidence that he was the best,” Shrout said. “He’s always had the mentality that he was going to get where he wanted to go, no matter how long it took him to get there.”
When his junior year started, Dominique wasn’t a starter. At Tracy High, he never believed that he was used to his full capabilities. He sought a larger role that he couldn’t find.
“I knew I was a Division I football player back in high school and I used to try and tell the coaches just give me a shot, but they never gave me that opportunity,” he said.
When his high school time was up, Dominique left Tracy High School with zero Division I offers. The bump in the road only fueled him to continue his quest for success.
“He’s out to prove folks wrong,” Donald said. “He’s making statements like that when people doubt him. When people doubt him, that’s when he’s at his strongest.”
An hour and 30 minutes separates Dominique’s hometown of Tracy from Contra Costa Community College. After not receiving any offers out of high school, Dominique wasn’t deterred. He got in contact with Alonzo Carter, the head coach at Contra Costa.
After seeing Dominique’s film, Carter believed he was a raw player with great athletic potential. But there he was, with five Division I bound defensive backs—three of whom were corners—and a player that could play immediately. Carter sat down with Dominique and grey-shirted him.
“I was really impressed (with Dominique), but we had a lot of good corners,” Carter said. “I felt that it was the first time that I could grey-shirt a good player.”
Over that year, Dominique dedicated himself to getting bigger and stronger so that he could seamlessly adapt to the skill level of the junior college ranks. Though not rewarded with the results on the field, the experience of working toward something in the future took a toll on Dominique.
“It’s a grind to it,” he said. “I picked up that grind from my junior college years. Success doesn’t come to those who sit around and wait. You have to go get it.”
When he finally hit the field, he took off running. Dominique had four interceptions and sparked the interest of college coaches across the country.
“I had a lot of things in store that I wanted to show people, but I never got the opportunity,” Dominique said. “When I got to my junior college, I had to let people know.”
During spring practices before Dominique’s final season at Contra Costa, then Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti came to visit. During practice that day, Dominique snagged three interceptions.
“It was an opportunity in the air that I grabbed and ran with,” Dominique said.
Secondary coach John Neal followed with a visit of his own a couple weeks later and offered Dominique a full scholarship. Early on, Dominique identified Oregon as the school he wanted to go to. When Dominique got the offer, coach Carter cautioned him to take time and make the best decision for himself before sticking to it. In response, Dominique reiterated to his coach that Oregon was the school for him.
“He waited two weeks and then he pulled the trigger,” coach Carter recalled.
Dominique’s story is somewhat of an anomaly. But it’s one that’s filled with inspiration for young players aspiring to play Division I football.
“It was monumental for our program for a lot of people to see this young man grow and seeing the product of coming in with no scholarship, not being academically qualified and then to leave with a degree and an All-American with multiple offers,” Carter said. “That’s a testament to the program and to the young man.”
Twenty minutes after practice has passed and there is no sign of Dominique. The vast majority of football players have already made the trek from the practice field to the locker room at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. Eventually, Dominique emerges from the stairs. His face is covered by a black winter face mask due to the brisk conditions of the day. He pulls the fleece material away from his mouth revealing a huge smile.
He uses the word “blessed” constantly to describe his situation. He feels as if coming to Oregon is a dream come true. However, he doesn’t believe that getting to this point is the end of his journey.
Once again, he’s behind a veteran secondary this season. And after struggling with a left knee injury for most of the year, his hunger to get on the field and make an impact for the Ducks is only growing.
“I’m hungry for it,” Dominique said. “I’m always working for it. You’re at your best when no when’s looking. I’m always focused. I’m always dialed in and I’m always looking for ways to make myself better.”
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt
