BEREA — Jerome Harrison is still waiting for his big break.
The running back has carried the ball just 43 times in two seasons and caught 11 passes. He’s been inactive 14 times and is looking for his first touchdown.
But he knows what will happen if he ever gets 20 rushes in a game.
“I’ll probably go over 100 (yards),” he said.
Harrison hasn’t lost his confidence since joining the Browns as a fifth-round pick out of Washington State. But some of the ego that predicted a rookie of the year award in his first days as a professional has dissipated.
“I don’t get my hopes up too high now, don’t expect nothing,” said Harrison, who averaged 6.2 yards on 23 carries last year. “Every time I get an opportunity, I’m just going to continue to make the best of it.
“My confidence level is still the same, I still play the same. I just understand it’s a business, it’s a numbers game and be ready when your number’s called.”
Jamal Lewis is the biggest reason No. 35 isn’t a big part of Derek Anderson’s vocabulary in the huddle. Lewis became the 26th rusher to reach 9,000 yards and gained 1,304 last year.
“This guy rushed for 2,000 yards in the NFL,” Harrison said of Lewis’ 2,066-yard 2003 season, the second most in NFL history. “I’m not sitting behind a nobody.
“The dumbest thing I could do is sit back and pout and don’t take nothing from Jamal. So I’ll continue to pick his brain until my time will come.”
That attitude has served Harrison well in his transition from college superstar to NFL backup. Harrison rushed for 1,900 yards as a senior at Washington State, but is third on the Cleveland depth chart behind Jason Wright.
Harrison carried eight times in the preseason opener versus the Jets, gaining a team-high 31 yards for a 3.9 average. But running isn’t what’s been holding him back.
He’s struggled in blitz protection, and coach Romeo Crennel has been open about Harrison’s need to improve on special teams. With only 45 players active on game day, Harrison often took a back seat to Wright, who’s integral on special teams.
“He is working hard at it,” Crennel said of Harrison.
“I’ve been playing football since I was 7 years old and I never had to play special teams,” Harrison said. “It took me a couple years, but now I understand the concepts of what’s going on and I understand that if you’re not a starter, you have to play special teams.”
Harrison has always been a backup kick returner with the Browns, but has added kick coverage to his repertoire. That requires tackling for the 5-foot-9, 205-pounder.
“It’s not a problem at all,” he said. “For once you get to run into people instead of letting the linebackers come downhill and hit you.”
Preventing linebackers from hitting the quarterback was also a problem for Harrison in his first two years. Lewis leaves the game in obvious passing situations, but Wright’s consistency in blitz pickup made him more valuable than Harrison.
He said he’s added weight, studied film and talked to veteran linebackers to improve his blocking. But technique and hard work may not always be enough.
“He’s just not the tallest guy in the world, but he’s got a big heart and he gives good effort,” Crennel said. “He’s willing. He’ll step in there. That’s not an issue.
“But sometimes when a good little guy goes against a good big guy, the good big guy might have a chance to win.”
Harrison isn’t buying that.
“Every man has a right to their opinion,” Harrison said. “I don’t let another man’s opinion define what I can do.”
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. 

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