ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 21, 2021

Mike Harley

Miami Hurricanes

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll have Mike Harley come up. Questions.

Q. Last year you were tied on the team with touchdown receptions, you also led the team in yards and receptions. Talk about the chemistry that continues to build with your quarterback.

MIKE HARLEY: Yeah, the chemistry, it never stop. Even though he got injured, he been rehabbing, I been with him. He'll be sitting down on the bench, throw a tennis ball at me, football at me. Just get the younger guys going every day.

He's back on his feet now running, dropping, doing steps and everything. We've just been consistent ever since day one.

Q. Three winning seasons in the last four years. What does this say about Miami football since you're arrival in 2017?

MIKE HARLEY: We just on the rise. Just steps. Just a process that we got to take, are, process that we got to love, gain from every win, learn from every loss, just keep going.

Q. What can you say about looking at the fact that this season you're looking to set some records here at Miami? Personally what does that mean to you to be a part of history, the receivers that came before you?

MIKE HARLEY: Just first of all, God does everything for a reason. I question myself coming back. At the end my coaches told me I'm a few catches away, couple yards away from breaking records, being legendary. I take that in. I kind of keep the main thing the main thing, come to workouts, do all the things right, the little things right. Keep my locker room clean, show up on time to practice, meetings. It's going to translate to the field.

This team in general, like Coach Diaz said, we just don't do it, we love it. When it comes to a sprint, being the first, showing the young guys the way. With me, I just want to be like that leader that the young guys never had, a big brother that the young guys never had, to the receiver room and to this team.

Q. A simple one. This year pretty sure you'll have the fans back. How excited are you to have fans at full capacity?

MIKE HARLEY: It's very exciting, man. I played my freshman, sophomore, junior year with fans. We feed off that. This past year we didn't have no fans. But I'm used to it. Just like rec ball, Little League ball, all you got is your parents or your coaches on the field.

It's a blessing to even have fans come back to the stadium.

Q. You start off with a big challenge against Alabama. What does that mean for you guys? What kind of statement can you make with a win?

MIKE HARLEY: The focus now. But when that time come, it's going to come. We can't run from it, can't hide from it. We're just stacking days. Every day we work, every day we work all day, which is stacking days, get the little things right. When it comes game time, comes game time. We got to trust everything, do what we do, trust the coach's call, just win.

Q. As a fifth-year player playing in the league, does your age, experience, familiarity with the league give you an edge over other defenses and younger players?

MIKE HARLEY: Yes, most definitely, as it should. Coming in as a freshman, you just happy to be there. As you get older, you learn a lot of things. For this game that I play, football, it's all mental. As I'm getting older, my mental is getting stronger and better. That's it.

Q. Came in as a freshman but still happy as a senior?

MIKE HARLEY: Oh, yeah, I love it. More happy.