How Falcons EDGE Went from Undrafted College Walk-On to 7-Year NFL Career

Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Demone Harris's story is one of grit, perseverance and budding promise.

Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Demone Harris has endured a lengthy journey to reach contention for a spot on the 53-man roster. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Demone Harris flashes a smile, sweat glistening from his forehead in the warm Miami morning air. He grabs a water bottle and takes a sip before squeezing it five times to cool his back, which is covered by shoulder pads and his white Atlanta Falcons No. 92 jersey.

Harris's feet are planted in the endzone of Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, his eyes staring at a distant Hard Rock Stadium. It's just shy of 10:45 a.m. on Aug. 6, and the veteran edge defender is moments removed from hitting sleds and fine-tuning his footwork with teammates James Smith-Williams and Bradlee Anae.

One year prior, Harris was on his couch.

In the span of six years, he'd been waived nine times and released another. He had signed 16 different contracts -- from practice squad to active roster promotions and reserve/future deals -- but played in just 14 games across stints with four different teams.

And this is the glamorous part of Harris's football journey, which is still in its relative infancy.

Harris didn't begin playing football until he was a 17-year-old high school junior. He played street basketball as a teenager before suiting up recreationally for Bishop Timon St. Jude High School in Buffalo, New York. He had no other options.

"Growing up, my mom really just didn't have the funds to put me in those kinds of programs and put me in football," Harris told Atlanta Falcons on SI. "She didn't drive, she didn't have a car to get me there. We grew up in an inner city neighborhood in Buffalo -- East Ferry Projects -- [and] we just didn't have much."

At 6-foot-4 and around 225 pounds, Harris had a mature build as a high schooler. He aligned at defensive end, tight end and receiver, but football didn't come naturally to him, and he struggled to find playing time. As a junior, he didn't see the field until the last two games of the season.

After all, he was still raw, and he knew it. The offseason entering his senior season, Harris put in extensive work. It didn't immediately pay off.

A bad high-ankle sprain forced him to miss half the season, and even when he played, he was limited to a niche role.

"They would split me out at the one and throw fade balls up to me and I would just jump higher and catch balls over kids," Harris said. "That was kind of my thing."

But such a skill set alone hardly translates to the next level, let alone the NFL. Consider further he played fewer than 10 high school games, and his odds diminish even more.

Harris beat them.

His high school coach, Charlie Comerford, had ties to the University of Buffalo, where his brother-in-law was a graduate assistant. Comerford sent over film of Harris, and the Bulls' coaches were intrigued. They didn't offer a scholarship, but an opportunity.

"They were like, 'Alright, we'll give this kid a walk-on spot and see what he has and see if he can grow,'" Harris said.

Upon arriving at Buffalo in the summer of 2013, Harris met perhaps the best role model he could have -- now-Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack, who has eight Pro Bowl nods across 10 professional seasons and was entering his redshirt senior year when Harris joined the Bulls' defensive line.

As a true freshman, Harris had a unique perspective of the process and work ethic that made Mack a top-five pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. While Mack worked through the pre-draft process, Harris turned his mentorship into a breakthrough spring and earned a scholarship.

In the fall of 2014, Harris played in seven games -- nearly matching his total from high school -- as a reserve defensive lineman. The year after, he appeared in all 12 contests, drawing seven starts. In 2016, he started 11 of 12 games and finished tied for third on the team with three sacks.

Harris put it all together as a redshirt senior in 2017, setting career highs with 54 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. He was a second-team Mid-American Conference selection and earned a nomination for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded annually to college football's most outstanding walk-on.

From 2013-15, Buffalo saw players from its defensive front get drafted, starting with one-time Falcons defensive end Steven Means in 2013, Mack in 2014 and defensive tackle Kristjan Sokoli in 2015.

A two-year spell ensued thereafter, but Harris, despite knowing he was still raw and inexperienced relative to others in his draft class, thought he had a good shot at ending the drought in 2018.

Harris didn't get invited to the NFL Combine but had a fair showing at his pro day, running a 4.89 40-yard dash and jumping 10'01" in the broad and 32 1/2-inches in the vertical.

Yet after the draft's 256 picks came and went, Harris was without a team. Both in the moment and in retrospect, he doesn't quite understand why.

"There were some guys drafted in my class that are no longer in the league and I'm going into Year 7 and I had better stats than them in college," Harris said. "That's the frustrating part, but ask anybody who didn't get drafted -- it's a humbling experience."

Going undrafted helped add fuel to Harris's fire, one that continues to burn now seven summers later.

"To be honest, it adds that much more of a chip on your shoulder," Harris said. "It's nothing new to me. I started my career as a walk-on in college, and essentially, I started my career as a walk-on in the pros."

***

Transaction No. 1 of Harris's career came April 30, 2018, when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. He was a part of five more before the year ended, bouncing between the waiver wire and Tampa Bay's practice squad.

In 2019, Harris made the Buccaneers' roster out of camp. He stayed on the active roster for the first four weeks. He was released the day before their fifth game but re-signed to the practice squad the day after.

Then, on the Tuesday of Tampa Bay's bye week, Harris experienced the most abnormal transaction of his professional career.

"I was called, [they] said to bring the playbook, but I get back to the facility and no one's in the building to even give me an explanation as to why I was being cut," Harris said. "In hindsight, I think it was more of a 'make space' kind of move, but that's just the business. No hard feelings, it's just business."

Even in the aftermath, Harris never received a reason for his release. His time in Tampa Bay concluded with three games played, no stats recorded and nine total transactions.

One week after his departure from Tampa Bay, Harris was on the move, signing a contract to join the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. His stay lasted less than a month -- but for good reason, as the Kansas City Chiefs signed him to their active roster.

So, Harris packed up his life and went to the Midwest. This time, he found the most stability and largest role he's experienced as a pro.

Harris played in four regular season games for the Chiefs in 2019, logging four tackles, two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit. He also saw snaps in two postseason games, and while he was inactive for the Super Bowl, he was a part of the Kansas City squad that won its first Super Bowl since Super Bowl IV in 1970.

Despite the bizarre, COVID-impacted nature of the 2020 season, Harris again made the Chiefs' active roster out of fall camp -- but he was inactive for the first six weeks. Given a chance to play nearly half the defensive snaps in Week 7, he delivered a three-tackle performance but was inactive the next two games.

Then, Harris's joy ride came to an abrupt end. He was waived by Kansas City after Week 9, though two days later, he re-joined the team's practice squad, where he stayed through the conclusion of the season.

In February 2021, Harris re-signed with the Chiefs but was cut during the final roster trim-down before the regular season.

Still, he played in two games as a gameday promotion, recording one quarterback hit. He was cut after Week 7 and remained a free agent for over two weeks.

On Nov. 10, 2021, Harris signed with the Houston Texans, where a practice squad spot awaited. He played in just one game -- a Week 16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers -- but made his first NFL start in the process. He did not register any stats.

Harris remained with Houston until season's end. He finished 2021 with three appearances, two teams, one start and five transactions.

After signing a reserve/futures contract in 2022, Harris spent the offseason with the Texans. He was again waived during the final cutdown period but quickly returned to the practice squad and signed to the active roster before Week 1.

For nearly two months, Harris was on Houston's 53-man roster. He played in three games but was a healthy scratch four times, and on Nov. 2, he was waived once more before again joining the Texans' practice squad.

By the end of 2022, Harris had compiled three games played, four tackles, one quarterback hit and been involved in six transactions.

His 2023 featured highs, lows and a newfound perspective on the sport he acquired late but grew to love.

Harris signed a reserve/futures deal with Houston in January 2023, but as he saw pieces get added to the outside linebackers room, he saw the writing on the wall.

The Texans already had Jonathan Greenard, an ascending pass rusher who eventually had a breakthrough 2023 season, and Jerry Hughes, who recorded nine sacks the year before. Then, during the 2023 draft, they selected star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 overall.

In Harris's words, Houston was stacked at the position -- and on Aug. 2, the two sides mutually agreed to part ways. But this time, instead of looking for another opportunity, Harris decided he'd had enough and chose to retire from the NFL, citing the rollercoaster ride he'd endured over the previous five calendar years.

"I'm not going to say I don't love a challenge -- I've always been like that, I've always felt like the little guy," Harris said. "I'm from Buffalo, New York, [and] no one expects anything from anybody from Buffalo, [but] I had a lot of chips stacked against me."

In the days that followed his departure from Houston, Harris held several conversations with his support system, headlined by his mom, brother and girlfriend.

Searching for direction, he leaned on those closest to him. They not only gave him open ears and strong shoulders, but also the motivation and perspective needed to reignite his NFL dream.

"They heard me and they told me I have more left in the tank and more to give," Harris said. "They see how hard I work. Maybe everyone around the nation doesn't see it, being a walk-on, being on practice squad. But I know how hard I work and I feel I work just as hard as anybody in this league.

"So, why give up something when you got a lot going?"

The Falcons signed Harris on Aug. 15, less than two weeks after his initial retirement. Two weeks later, he was back in a familiar position: Released on cutdown day and looking for another job. Some 20 days later, Atlanta called, and Harris was in another spot he's grown ever-so-familiar with: The practice squad.

But Harris warns there is an abundance of good players hidden on practice squads around the league who can play on Sundays, but the public has no idea. For this reason, Harris asks those who evaluate football to have grace when they try to challenge the status of how good a player truly is.

After all, he'd know better than most.

Harris spent the entirety of the 2023 season on the Falcons' practice squad. His year ended with no games played, a brief stint in retirement and five transactions.

Yet perhaps more than ever before, Harris, armed with a new perspective from his family, was grateful for the opportunity Atlanta provided.

"It's a business, and sometimes, people that make those decisions, they just have priorities over who's going to be playing and who's not," Harris said. "But for me, to get back in an NFL building, it was just more of an attitude of gratitude, and I'm thankful to be with Atlanta today."

Harris signed a reserve/futures contract with the Falcons on Jan. 9, 2024, in between the transition from one coaching staff to another. He remains on the 90-man roster entering Friday night's preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But Harris has his sights set on a greater goal: Making the 53-man roster for the third time in his NFL career.

He's enjoyed a strong summer and is firmly on the roster bubble ahead of the one and only cutdown day Aug. 27. Through two exhibition contests, Harris has been disruptive, accumulating one tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a near-sack that prompted an offensive holding penalty.

In training camp, Harris has, at various points, rotated in with the first-team defense -- and Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said he's "really pleased" with the growth Harris has made working under outside linebackers coach Jacquies Smith and senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable.

"We've noticed him," Lake said in late July. "He's played well. He's got a good pass rush force, he's learning the defense, the fundamentals that Jacquies Smith is teaching him and Coach Hux -- you can really start to see all that come alive."

Smith, who played in the NFL from 2012-18, has a similar story to Harris. Smith hails from what Bleacher Report dubbed a "destitute" Dallas neighborhood, went undrafted out of the University of Missouri and finished his career with 24 transactions, excluding stints in the Canadian Football League and XFL.

While Smith experienced more highs in his NFL career -- such as totaling 13.5 sacks in his first 27 appearances -- his struggle to find stability has had a direct influence on his message as Atlanta's first-year outside linebackers coach.

"I just try to establish in my room: I don't really care where you came from, where you were drafted," Smith told Atlanta Falcons on SI. "It doesn't matter, man. I think the goal for everybody within this organization is to win, and so when guys are doing things the right way, you reward them, you give them reps."

Smith noted training camp is the time to mix and match pieces and let players take snaps with different groups due to the unpredictability of an 18-week season.

But players still have to earn the right for those snaps, and when the opportunities come, they have to capitalize. This offseason, Harris has.

"He's done an excellent job," Smith said. "He's having a great camp. Just needs to keep doing what he's doing and just in training camp, you mix and match pieces, so he's a guy that we've been moving around but has been doing pretty well."

From a traits perspective, Smith believes the 6-foot-4, 272-pound Harris has everything the Falcons ask their outside linebackers to do -- which, in Lake's 3-4 defense, is quite a bit. There's not only rushing the passer and setting the edge, but also the possibility to drop into coverage and play in space.

Smith said Harris has shown some pass rush ability while proving to be stout in the run game. And, above all else, Harris is proving the number 30 -- his current NFL transaction counter -- doesn't represent the caliber of player he is.

"I think sometimes you get it misconstrued with players and transactions and going through it," Smith said. "Sometimes, it's just about the fit, and right now, he fits everything we're asking our guys to be able to do on the edge.

"Obviously, he's been proving it in camp, and the reps go up the more you prove. And so, he's been doing a great job and brings a lot of different traits to the table."

When the 28-year-old Harris reflects on his career -- five teams and as many practice squad contracts (14) as games played -- he feels as if he's squeezed all the juice out of the lemon each time he's stepped on the field.

There was never a moment, he said, where he felt like his career was particularly cemented. He feels as if he's always put his best foot forward, be it in Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Kansas City, Houston or Atlanta, and has gotten the most out of each situation.

The highs and lows and ebbs and flows have led Harris to the position he's in now -- staring down a chance at a roster spot for the team he made his NFL debut against on Oct. 14, 2018.

His path hasn't been linear, but Harris has carried the same mindset he had as a walk-on at Buffalo -- optimism and an eagerness to improve while playing his way to a brighter future.

"It's been a journey," Harris said. "But it's an undying belief in myself. And just knowing that in this business, how I entered it -- undrafted -- that nothing is going to be given to me. I will always have a shorter leash to work on, but it's nothing new to me."

If nothing else, Harris's story is one of perseverance. He's had his heart broken time and again, his life changed each step of the way. He's been overlooked and unsung. He's been retired -- and back on a football field 13 days later.

Somehow, someway, he's pulled himself off the mat every time. And through his arduous voyage, Harris has learned a lot about himself -- perhaps none greater than the grit instilled from East Ferry Projects that continues to show up one season, snap and transaction at a time.

"I'm a tough MF-er," Harris said.