East Lansing, Mich. - College offensive linemen are becoming easier for Derrick Harmon to handle.
But ice cream? That might be a more difficult opponent.
Harmon conquered his love for ice cream while dropping from 350 pounds to 305 over the last 14 months. It wasn’t easy.
“Ice cream,” he said. “I loved it.”
Nothing fancy, understand. Just vanilla ice cream.
“I’m not doing any toppings or sprinkles, for sure,” he said. “Some vanilla ice cream; I did love that. I did.”
But he loves football, and his future in it, even more.
“Harmon has his weight down,” said defensive line coach Marco Coleman. “He is very dedicated, has a passion is working. He and Maverick (Hansen), there is not going to be a dropoff (from Jacob Slade and Simeon Barrow). They are competing. I tell Jacob and Simeon, those guys are breathing down your neck. They are having a really good camp.”
In the same breath, Coleman says he believes Barrow and Slade will make up one of the best defensive tackle tandems in the country. So if Harmon isn’t far behind those guys as a young second-stringer, that tells you about the trajectory of the 6-foot-5, 305-pound redshirt-freshman.
Harmon, of Detroit Loyola High School, played in four games last year while preserving redshirt status. He was sturdy, solid and promising last year. But he felt he could have been better.
“I was out of shape last year,” he said.
It was a year-long work in progress.
“When I was 350, they told me I had to lose weight just to be able to play,” he said. “I sat down with Miss Amber and we talked about the gameplan for losing weight.”
Miss Amber is Amber Rinestine, Michigan State’s Head Football Performance Dietitian.
“Coach Novak was right there and we just broke down everything I needed to do and we just stuck to that plan,” he said, in reference to Michigan State strength coach Jason Novak. “And today I’m 305, lost a lot of weight.”
He played at 325 last fall. And lost the rest during the most recent off-season.
What was the key, besides avoiding ice cream?
“Just working out, man,” he said. “And just staying consistent. Really being dedicated and really wanting it for yourself.”
His strength hasn’t suffered. His shoulders are round, bulging and cut. His arms are like logs.
“I’m in the weight room, going at it,” he said. “That’s all I want to do for myself, is be great.”
Harmon had a strong upper body and quick feet, despite the 350 pound payload, when he arrived at Michigan State. In the past year, he estimates that his bench press strength has improved from eight to 10 reps of 225 to 20.
“I’ve been working with Jacob Slade in the spring and summer, training,” Harmon said. “I’ve been his partner in the weight room and I’m taking everything from him I can. That’s really like my big brother. I’ve been under his wing. He’s going to go play (professionally) and I’m just trying to go play where he’s going.”
Harmon is lighter, and stronger, and quicker, and more knowledgeable than a year ago. He’s one of the more rapidly-improving players on the team.
“I’ve gotten way better, man,” he said. “I feel like I got way better, just from speed. Just moving quicker. Being able to get skinny in the gaps. I see a big difference on the field.”
Quickness is on uptick, and so is his strength and technique in winning as a two-gapping hoss.
“Knock-back is my biggest thing right now,” he said, “trying get that knock back, get that guard to another level so that its hard for double-teams to get to me.”
He’s bright, driven, physically gifted and able to self-evaluate.
“Last year, when I did get in the game, I didn’t do what I wanted to do just because I was thinking too much out there,” he said. “You need to know what you’re doing on the field. You don’t want to make a mistake and cost your team. And you need to be in the best shape you can in order to help your team.
“Now I feel I can get on the field and prove to everyone what I can do. I’m going to prove it this year for sure.”
Even if proving himself at the ice cream counter continues to be a challenge.
“Two days ago, at Case Hall,” he said.
That’s the last time he had ice cream.
Ice cream is available during training camp at the residence hall. And it’s hard to walk away from it.
“Just a little bit,” he said with a smile. “Just sometimes.”