CFP SEMIFINAL AT THE ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE: ALABAMA VS NOTRE DAME

December 28, 2020

Christian Harris

Alabama Crimson Tide

THE MODERATOR: We're back with Christian Harris.

Q. Wonder if there's anything in particular that you missed about a season in restrictions, with COVID and protocols and that. Was there something personal that you sort of missed this year?

CHRISTIAN HARRIS: I would say personally for me, just having the fans out there, just a really different experience not having fans out there. Not being as loud, not having as much of an impact on the game. But I think that would be really the only thing.

There's not too much different that we do here besides, I mean, like I said, just being in the games, not having as many fans.

Q. There's so much hype around the offenses -- the quarterbacks, running backs, skilled players. As a defense how motivated are you guys to say kind of, not on the podium, but on the field, hey, remember us, we play defense here, too, to make a statement as a defense once you get into the game?

CHRISTIAN HARRIS: Every single game we go out we try to make a statement as a defense in all areas of our game. So we can't -- like I said, we can't have the fans out there to hype us up and stuff, but we're excited to play the game of football. We use it as another opportunity to go out and show the world what we can do. We go out there try to take advantage of that.

Q. I'd love to know how you are doing health-wise. And, second, who do you think will win the Heisman?

CHRISTIAN HARRIS: Health wise, I'm feeling great. As far as the Heisman, I don't really know. I know they have really great athletes up for it. They choose whoever they think is best. I'm focused on this game this week, though.

Q. 21 of the team's 32 sacks have come in the last four games. Have you noticed anything in those four games? Have guys been healthy, or is it just Will Anderson and yourself coming into your own? What do you think has been the difference for the sack production?

CHRISTIAN HARRIS: I think just us going out there and executing the game plan is that Coach gives us. I think it helps us go out there and be more successful. We really had to focus in on that week by week throughout this week most definitely.

And I think it's just starting to show out there with the amount of players that we have getting sacks and making plays, I think it's all coming from execution.

Q. Exactly what happened to you on that injury, that play you got injured? And what was the injury and how do you get back from that?

CHRISTIAN HARRIS: I mean, I just -- it's like regular football. You just have somebody, take a shoulder a little bit. I'm all fine now. There's nothing -- ever really been an injury that kept me off the field. So I'm all healthy now.

Q. The Ole Miss tight end had a pretty good night. What did you learn from that experience going forward? And of course you played against Kyle Pitts at Florida. And Notre Dame has a couple of good tight ends as well.

CHRISTIAN HARRIS: Throughout the teams that we've played so far there are a lot of great tight ends, and offenses utilizing really well their scheme. I think with the Ole Miss game, it was just lack of execution on my part as well as just the defense as a whole. I think it's something we tried to focus on the rest of the season.