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SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 HEADLINES

USA Tody Draftwire

Meet , Temple's pro-ready CB prospect By Jacob Infante https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2020/04/15/2020-nfl-draft-prospects-harrison-hand-temple-interview/

247 Sports

Hand to skip Military Bowl, enter NFL Draft, Carey says By Shawn Pastor https://247sports.com/Article/Harrison-Hand-NFL-Draft-Military-Bowl-Temple-football-141121562/

Owls Daily

Baylor transfer could make immediate impact for Owls By Bill Evans https://247sports.com/college/temple/Article/Harrison-Hand-back-home-at-Temple-134367024/

PUBLICATION: USA Today Draftwire DATE: 4/15/20

Meet Harrison Hand, Temple's pro-ready CB prospect

By Jacob Infante

When looking for a who can play on the boundary in the NFL, teams like players with confidence who aren’t afraid to engage in physical contact.

Temple’s Harrison Hand is a prospect who fits that bill. Coming off of a season in which he tallied a team-leading three and five pass deflections, he is looking to carry on his success as he prepares to play at the next level.

Draft Wire recently spoke exclusively with Hand about his competitive mindset, his preparations for the draft, his NFL bloodline, and what he brings to the table as a potential draft pick.

JI: One of the calling cards in your skill set is your physicality. What does a have to do to obtain that physical edge? HH: To be honest, it’s really a mindset and wanting to be aggressive. There’s a lot of corners that don’t really like contact, but I say it’s really just gaining the strength and the mindset of being strong and really wanting to overcome the opponent by strength: show them that you’re the top dog.

JI: Your cousin [former Chiefs defensive lineman Turk McBride] played in the NFL for a while. Did growing up watching him play in the league play a factor on your wanting to play in the NFL? HH: Yeah, definitely. We started to communicate a lot more when I was older, but when we talk now, he gives me advice about what to do when you get into the league, how to carry yourself. It definitely helps a lot.

JI: You transferred from Baylor to Temple for this last season, what was it about Temple that made you want to go there? HH: A lot of it was [that] I had a lot of family problems going on, with deaths and family issues, that played a huge factor in me coming back home, and my coach [then- coach Fran Brown] left to go back to Temple, so that played a lot [into the decision], plus I was already being recruited before I went to Baylor, so it was kind of like a calling from God, going back home.

(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

JI: Did ’s presence play into your initial decision to go to Baylor? HH: Yeah, definitely it did. Coach Rhule and Coach Fran Brown, he was the main guy that recruited me, and knowing that, I trusted both of them with my future, I’d say, and they really had my backs and my best interests, knowing what they really had to bring to the table and how great they are of coaches. It was just a no-brainer for me to go.

JI: Now that Rhule is the head coach of the , what would you say they’re getting in a head coach there? HH: I’d definitely say they’re getting a phenomenal head coach that really cares about the players and is always going to put the best on the field. On and off the field, he’s a caring coach, and he knows how to win.

JI: How was your experience at the NFL Scouting Combine? HH: It was a great experience. It’s kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime chance, getting to meet a lot of different coaches and a lot of different types of players. I learned a lot from the different coaches, and I really think that I took with me all of that after the Combine, and it was just a great experience.

JI: You excelled in the broad and vertical jumps. What was going through your mind when you saw the numbers you put up? HH: Truthfully, I know I could have done a little better. I was wishing I could get another jump or test, but I was definitely grateful and proud of what I did, but I always want more.

JI: How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected your predraft process? HH: It didn’t really affect me personally, not really too much, other than me probably flying somewhere to see different coaches, but we’re doing it virtually. I’m still getting my work in and going to the field, I’m still getting my training in, I’m still lifting and everything, so physicality-wise, it’s not different.

(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

JI: How have you adjusted from in-person meetings to meeting virtually, since you mentioned you met with coaches at the Combine? HH: I treat it like a regular phone call, [because] we’re really just trying to get the best to know each other, and just get yourself out there and communicate.

JI: What would you say is the most important trait a cornerback can have? HH: I’d say confidence and the ability to recover. When in doubt, most of the time you’re going to be on an island by yourself, so you got to cover, and if you don’t have the confidence, you lost already. You’re definitely going to get beat, and what do you do after you get beat?

JI: How do you spend your free time outside of football? HH: In my free time, I’m either watching a movie with my family, playing games with my family or Netflix, or I’m on the game playing Call of Duty. I don’t really do too much [outside of that].

JI: With this whole quarantine situation, have you had the chance to get started on any new Netflix shows? HH: I haven’t watched any new shows, but I just started back up on old shows I used to watch. Not really old shows, but shows with new episodes. Money Heist, that’s my favorite show right here.

JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team? HH: I’d definitely say a self-motivated, passionate worker that’ll come in every day and give you the best, on and off the field. I do my best to be the greatest on the field, and I also do my best to be great off the field, just being a great person to everybody. PUBLICATION: The Bulletin DATE: 12/27/19

Hand to skip Military Bowl, enter NFL Draft, Carey says

By Shawn Pastor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Temple cornerback Harrison Hand will forgo his final season of eligibility and enter his name in the 2020 NFL Draft, Coach told OwlsDaily in an exclusive interview on Thursday afternoon.

Hand will not play in Friday’s Military Bowl and is not with the team in Annapolis after having surgery earlier this week.

“He’s going to the draft early,” Carey said in an interview at the team hotel in the nation’s capital on Thursday. “We talked about it a week or two ago.”

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Ads by Teads Hand injured a finger on his left hand subsequent to Temple’s regular season finale against UConn. The injury required surgery, which was completed on Christmas Eve.

“He had surgery on his finger,” Carey specified.

Hand started all 12 games at cornerback for the Owls this season, totaling 59 tackles, three interceptions, and four pass breakups. He joined the Owls after two years at Baylor, where he started 13 games in two seasons.

The South Jersey native battled injuries throughout his sophomore year at Baylor and was bothered on and off by a leg injury this season, but never missed a start.

Hand received an eligibility waiver to play for the Owls in 2019. He’s leaving the program on the heels of his position coach and longtime mentor, Fran Brown, who left Temple for Rutgers earlier this month.

Brown originally recruited Hand to come to Temple out of Cherry Hill (N.J.) West High School in 2016, but Hand followed Brown to Baylor when former Temple head coach Matt Rhule got the Baylor job and brought along Brown and most of his Temple staff. Brown and Hand both made their way back home this past offseason.

Without Hand, the Owls figure to start Freddie Johnson at cornerback against North Carolina in the Military Bowl. Johnson started one game this season, stepping in for an injured Christian Braswell against Cincinnati. Braswell is healthy after missing the game against Cincinnati and seeing limited duty against UConn. Braswell started eight games this season. The top backup to Braswell and Johnson is Ty Mason, who logged his first career start against UConn.

Hand is required to submit his paperwork to enter the 2020 NFL Draft by Jan. 20.

PUBLICATION: Owls Daily DATE: 8/11/19

Baylor transfer could make immediate impact for Owls

By Bill Evans

Matt Rhule and his staff recruited Harrison Hand, then an all-state cornerback at Cherry Hill West (N.J.) High School, to come to Temple three years ago.

But when Rhule and many of his coaches left for Baylor, several recruits – including Hand – followed him.

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Ads by Teads Now after two years, Hand is where he thought he might be all along – at Temple, near his South Jersey roots. Hand transferred to Temple and received a hardship waiver to be able to play immediately.

“It feels good to be back home, feels good to be with these guys because I knew them before I went to Baylor,” said Hand. “I was always recruited by Temple, I loved Temple, I thought I was going to come here so …. it just feels good to be back home working with these guys.”

Temple defensive backs coach Fran Brown left with Rhule, but like Hand came back to Temple this year. Having a familiar coach has benefitted Hand even more.

“It definitely helps, he’s one guy I communicate with a lot, he’s like my big brother,” said Hand. “We talk about everything, not just football but life.”

Hand received the waiver in June but he competed in the spring with hopes of receiving it, and head coach Rod Carey said being able to plug the junior in right away was significant. Without the waiver, Hand would have been required to sit for a year.

“It’s a big deal,” said Carey. “With his ability, he’s going to compete for the job. We were hoping (the waiver) would come through, so we let him compete. He’s a really good football player, it makes our depth better, our top-end talent better, everything about our position group gets better.”

Hand was an immediate impact player at Baylor. He played in all 12 games as a freshman, starting nine, and posted 42 tackles with eight pass break-ups and an , earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors. In his sophomore year, Hand appeared in 10 games with four starts, totaling 13 tackles and three pass break-ups.

“I came in (freshman year) with a great mindset to work hard at everything I do,” said Hand. “Sophomore year I was injured a lot, and it wasn’t as good a season.

"(In the Big 12), there’s no plays off. If you lack focus, if your eyes are bad, you read a wrong key, it’s a touchdown. Going up against very talented skill guys with crazy speed was a good learning experience. I’m going to bring a lot of toughness to my side of field and take care of my side of the field.”

The Owls, for sure, are happy to finally have Hand in the fold.

“(Penn State safety transfer Ayron Monroe and Hand) add a lot,” said senior Sam Franklin. “Monroe is a new safety who covers a lot of space. Harrison is better in man coverage, but they both fit the scheme and those guys are tough. They showed they are supposed to be here.

“They make the other guys work a little harder at those two positions. These guys are going to make sure they get their stats and get their plays in. Even in practice, our wide receivers and slots see those guys out there and know they have to bring it.”

4 COMMENTS And Hand is happy to be where he thought he would be all along.

“Waco (Texas) was a big culture shock,” said Hand. “I love being back home.”