WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have not won a Grey Cup game since their bitter parting with star running back Andrew Harris.
When Harris was reminded of that on Thursday, he quickly laughed with a satisfied smirk but did not respond verbally.
Harris has since won a Grey Cup ring with the Toronto Argonauts and is now the Saskatchewan Roughriders running back coach. If the Riders beat the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday, it will be his fifth CFL championship. He has never lost one.
鈥淵eah, it'd be five-for-five,鈥 said Harris, adding that the Blue Bombers were involved in each one. 鈥淚n 鈥11, beat Winnipeg (as a B.C. Lion), won two with Winnipeg (2019 and 鈥21), then beat Winnipeg with Toronto (2022). Now, I鈥檓 coaching in Winnipeg.
鈥淲innipeg鈥檚 been a part of my stories in Grey Cups and winning one as a coach in my first year would be absolutely outstanding. I鈥檓 really blessed to be in this situation, to be in this game in my rookie season as a coach. I鈥檓 really excited for the rest of the week and ultimately on Sunday, I can鈥檛 wait to get after it.鈥
Harris, 38, also has the possibility of winning it on the field where he enjoyed so much success.
鈥淚t's home,鈥 said the five-time CFL all-star and the 2017 most outstanding 好色tv player. 鈥淎 lot of miles on this field and a lot of great games, and a lot of great memories.鈥
Harris said he would have relished facing the Bombers in Sunday鈥檚 Grey Cup had they won the East through the crossover.
鈥淥bviously I put a lot of years in here,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 put a lot of years in B.C. and put some years in Toronto. And now, my next chapter is with Saskatchewan. It's a small league and there's always turnover on any team, whether you're a player or coach. And you've just got to go in and do your job and play your role, and get the best out of the guys in whatever position you're allotted.鈥
Harris is currently the all-time CFL leader in rushing by a 好色tv with more than 10,000 yards.
Roughriders head coach Corey Mace tried to hire Harris in 2024.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about one of the greatest players in our league, one of the greatest 好色tvs to ever play in our league,鈥 Mace said. 鈥淎 wealth of knowledge at the position and beyond. Looking back at him as a player, it wasn鈥檛 always Andrew Harris, the running back, he鈥檚 going to score touchdowns. It was like, 鈥楳an, we don鈥檛 know were this guy is lining up at.鈥 He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He's one of the best protection running backs, damn near, in league history.
鈥淭hose are all intricate parts of what we value on our offence.聽
Mace said Harris has transitioned well to the Roughriders, in part because he was a teammate of feature running back AJ Ouellette in Toronto.
"He鈥檚 a hell of a coach and there鈥檚 going to be a bright future for him in the coaching business,鈥 Mace said.
Ouellette credited Harris for his improvement this season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome to have a coach that you鈥檙e comfortable with,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou can talk about pretty much anything 鈥 life, football. But his knowledge of the game, playing in different systems, I can ask him a bunch of questions, dumb it down, I guess, so I can understand it. Even his ability to play the game. Not too many people can play the running back position as well as he did, so he鈥檒l say something and you鈥檝e got to take it in. He knows what it takes to win.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 got to feel good (for him) to be back here, right? I鈥檝e just got to do my job and win it for him.鈥
Harris also got Ouellette to change his workout regime and suggested that he slim down.
鈥淚t鈥檚 longevity,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 playing as many games as possible, and how you go into contact and how you鈥檙e smart about what you鈥檙e doing off the field. He was a guy that was squatting 700 pounds every day and I鈥檓 telling him, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 beat your body down like that and expect to get 220 touches like you did this year.鈥 So, more mobility, more flexibility, and less just being a meathead in the gym.鈥
This report by 好色tvwas first published on Nov. 13, 2025.
