Walking around the streets of Chicago as a kid, Jermari Harris mainly saw two things – a basketball court on nearly every corner and skyscrapers looming overhead. These dual sights conjured two competing visions – a star on the hardwood and a leader of a business. 

“I always saw myself [in] downtown Chicago with a suit and suitcase,” Harris said. “Around the architecture, it’s a different feeling when you’re down there.” 

Now at 24 years old, Harris’ goal remains on track, but his route to that achievement wasn’t through collegiate basketball, but football at the University of Iowa. Despite taking to the gridiron late in his career, Harris entered college with an added sense of responsibility. Over his six years with the Hawkeyes, the cornerback saw these responsibilities expand – he just had to prioritize. 

A leader. A student-athlete. A mentor. Blending these three identities forged Harris’character as he approaches his final two regular-season games with the Hawkeyes.  

“You can try to gather as much information as you can early on because you never know who might be able to help you in the future,” Harris said. “Time isn’t for certain.” 

Surrounded by basketball growing up in the Windy City, Harris couldn’t help but love the sport. For him, it was “poetry in motion,” but thanks to his grandfather, football kept calling. A fan of the Chicago Bears, Harris’ grandfather watched the team every Sunday with his grandson. This routine exposure unlocked an attention to detail in Harris, who went the extra step to help out his hometown team. 

Armed with a pen and paper, Harris drew up an offensive play for then-Bears head coach Lovie Smith. 

“My granddad can attest to this. I don’t know if he sent it, but it’s the thought that counts,” Harris said with a smile. 

Starting at age 10, Harris played football for three years but dropped the sport until he got to his junior year of high school at Montini Catholic. While he hadn’t played the sport at that advanced of a level, Harris said he knew he had the athleticism to make the transition. 

Emboldened by a love for contact, Harris started his career at safety but didn’t see much action due to a shoulder injury. That summer, he switched to cornerback. The quickness he gained from his basketball days shallowed the learning curve, but Harris wanted a challenge. 

Playing 7-on-7 for Midwest Boom that summer, Harris went up against the likes of future NFL players in wide receiver George Pickens and quarterback Bo Nix. 

“Playing up against those guys going into my senior year, I had momentum,” Harris said. 

This preparation paid off in Harris’ final season with the Broncos, as he earned second-team all-state honors after recording 72 tackles, eight interceptions, and five pass break-ups. Harris had an offer from Northern Illinois but had his sights set on higher competition. After looking into the program and its coaching staff,  he knew Iowa was the place to be. 

“Doing my homework, just realizing a lot of guys who are successful had a similar background as me: a two-star, three-star athlete who played multiple sports,” Harris said of Iowa. “I decided that’s the place I wanted to go. And people told me I was crazy for that because I just started playing football. Just continue to do what I had to do on a daily basis.” 

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz took notice of Harris late during his prep career, and it was more than just the impressive statistics. Located in Lombard, Illinois, Montini Catholic is an hour-long drive from Chicago. For Harris, this meant taking the bus and two train trips on a routine basis. 

“It wasn’t easy for him,” Ferentz said of Harris. “Tells you a little something about his personality. I think he had perseverance and it was serious to him. He recognized a good opportunity, so he sacrificed a little bit to make it happen.” 

Harris only played in eight games over his first two seasons at Iowa, and when the latter half of his career approached, the words of former Iowa offensive lineman Alaric Jackson reverberated within the cornerback. 

“I remember when he told me it’s time not to be that young guy no more,” Harris said. “‘You got to step up, you’re not little bro no more.’ Just him saying that gave me the confidence to take the next step into that leadership role.” 

Another piece of advice veterans gave Harris was that in power conference college football, everyone gets beat. This happened to Harris in Iowa’s 2021 Big Ten title game against Michigan, where the cornerback gave up a pair of touchdowns to the Wolverines. 

Just weeks later, Harris had one of his best performances of the season in the Citrus Bowl against Kentucky, where he snagged an interception and two pass break-ups. 

“That’s something I’m proud of, because I feel as though I learned a lot and took a step in the right direction,” Harris said. 

Harris’ career continued to have its ups and downs. A season-ending injury in 2022. A gambling suspension in 2023. When he returned from his suspension, Harris kept perspective. He said mistakes in life are inevitable, but it’s about how to respond. The cornerback has used the term “growth mindset” plenty of times this season, and he’s been teaching Iowa’s young defensive backs this same philosophy. 

“It’s each one, teach one in this building,” Harris said. “I take pride in that, and I know we all take pride in that. I learned from the younger guys, they learn from the older guys … Looking to learn and be the best version of yourself day in and day out.” 

Iowa safety Sebastian Castro has been Harris’ roommate for the last few years. The pair are both in their final seasons of eligibility and as the finish line draws near, Castro notices how his teammate stands out with his authentic leadership. 

“He cares,” Castro said of Harris. “When he’s frustrated, you can see it. He’s very out there … He wants to compete. He wants to be successful. How can you not respect that?” 

From Castro’s viewpoint, Harris is more process-oriented than he is fixated on results. And with two regular season games and a bowl game left on the schedule, that process isn’t complete. Neither is Harris’ own life. He said he wants to keep playing football, but if that doesn’t work out, he has plans to attend DePaul University and obtain a Master of Business Administration. 

“Every year is multiple learning lessons,” Harris said. “You continue to learn. We stop learning when we’re gone. So these six years have been tremendous in helping me with my overall perspective.”