It was the first Sun Devil Football game for 11-year-old Carson and 7-year-old Jaxson Texteria: Arizona State vs. Hawai‘i on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.
A fortunate turn of events took the young brothers down to Frank Kush Field for warm-ups, where they stood in awe of the sight of Mountain America Stadium before them.
Without prompting, without a wave or a call, senior wide receiver Reed Harris took notice. He came over to the boys and gave them fist bumps.
“I’m never washing this hand again,” said Carson, the older of the two brothers.
It’s moments like these that become permanently imprinted in the minds of young fans and can change their lives forever.
Harris knows this well. He used to be one of these young fans.
Harris grew up on a farm in Montana, far from the flash and big city lights that come with college Football Game Day. He did, however, take trips to see Montana State Football games with his grandfather, Steve.
“For me, being seven, a three-hour drive felt like an entire day. But those were some fun trips,” Harris said.
Most memorable was a spring game that provided the magic feeling that December brings. Harris was in awe of quarterback DeNarius McGhee, and at that time, Harris was a quarterback himself, not the wide receiver he is today.
“I was standing on the sideline, watching him play the whole time. Once the practice was over, they let the fans go onto the field to talk to the players. I had this little football, and I got him to sign it. It felt like Christmas,” said Harris.
Nowadays, Harris is the one taking the field on Saturdays and knows how important it is to be that role model and to sign autographs for the younger generation.
“Now that I’m playing college football, I just want my interactions with the kids to be a special moment for them. I want to show them that football players are just personable people like you. They can talk to us and chat. We’re just here to have a good time, and we want it to be fun for them too.”
Recalling those trips to Montana State with his grandpa, Harris says, “I feel like I just have to give back to what I grew up trying to do. So whenever I see kids in the stands, I’ll just go try and say what’s up and see if they want an autograph or to take pictures.”
Farm life in Montana
Harris’ solid character can be traced back to his upbringing on the family farm in Montana.
“We had a dry-land farm, so we would plant crops and harvest them when the time came, and it was fun getting to learn how to do all those different types of things,” said Harris. “It was a great experience to have as a young kid, because I think I learned a lot about respect, discipline, and being able to stay focused on whatever task I was trying to complete.”
These skills came in handy once Harris started playing football in the fourth grade. After all, it’s hard for a football player in Montana to get scouted by colleges.
“I would drive to Idaho and Washington to do showcase camps in front of a bunch of different colleges, and that’s a really good way to try and get recognition. That worked out pretty well.”