ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Erik Harris has this routine, you see, and while the Oakland Raiders would love to see him replicate his two-pick outing from earlier this season come Sunday against Philip Rivers, Harris' habit has more to do with people not in uniform.
Harris, whose journey to starting NFL safety is something Homer (the Greek poet, not Simpson) would dig, comes out an hour before team stretch to play catch with fans. With an official NFL football, Harris spins it from the field to the seats for a few tosses before spying another fan, nodding in acknowledgement and then tossing them the pigskin.