It was the bond with his grandmother that helped NKeal Harry pave a path to the Patriots

The draft was the dream.

It was the reason. The intersection of journeys.

N’Keal Harry devoted his life to this path. His grandmother, Felna Harry, devoted her life to him. Together, they turned the NFL Draft into something far more meaningful than football.

“It was something I dreamed about years ago – how nice it would be to have the family come up and everybody under one roof,” Felna said. “I dreamt of that, but I didn’t see my reality until it actually happened.”

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No one threw a draft party like the Harry family.

N’Keal Harry, who went to the Patriots at No. 32, solidified his expectation as a first-round pick last month. After Bill Belichick welcomed Harry with a phone call, the former Arizona State wide receiver hung up and immediately and emotionally hugged his grandmother at the center of a circle of their entire family.

They gathered for Harry, both Felna and N’Keal. The pair moved to Arizona from their native Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean prior to N’Keal’s fourth birthday. So they marked the draft as a reason to celebrate, and Felna’s four children and all four of her other grandchildren traveled up from the island for a two-week vacation. It took months to plan, and they all stayed at Felna’s home in Chandler during their stay. The Harrys orchestrated the draft-night party at a rented house in Scottsdale to accommodate a few dozen extra friends.

It was the perfect night – just how Felna imagined.

A new life

Todd Graham sat across from Felna and N’Keal Harry in their living room in 2015. As Arizona State’s head coach at the time, Graham unveiled his plan for Harry’s time on campus, how they’d achieve their shared vision and why Graham would earn their trust. It was a standard conversation Graham would have with any committed recruit and his family – until Felna changed its course.

As Graham recalled, “His grandmother said, ‘Coach, I’m going to tell you something. I’ve put my heart and soul and life into this young man. You better do what you say you’re going to do.’

“I didn’t want to disappoint her, I’ll tell you that.”

Felna wasn’t exaggerating.

“She tells it like it is,” Graham laughed, “and she told me.”

That meeting with Graham was essentially the culmination of nearly two decades of selfless dedication.

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Felna spent her entire adult life working for the ministry of health in Saint Vincent, so she qualified for early retirement from her government job around the turn of the new millennium. Curious about life in another part of the world, Felna moved to New York City, where she had previously visited friends and extended family. She brought N’Keal with her in the hope to give him a better life with greater opportunities, but Felna soon realized the colder weather and “hustle and bustle” of New York wasn’t for her.

Felna had a friend in Arizona who vouched for the superior weather and quieter lifestyle versus New York. While Felna relocated and got herself settled in Scottsdale, she sent N’Keal back to Saint Vincent with his mother, Naudine, who is the third oldest of Felna’s four children.

Felna was able to take N’Keal because he was actually born in Toronto, where Naudine had temporarily moved a few years earlier, and the Canadian-American relations were simpler from an immigration perspective. Felna had gotten approved for her move to America long before her retirement, but the rest of her children were over 18 by the time she was ready to relocate, meaning it would have taken several years and a significant amount of money for them to also move with her. That’s why Naudine stayed on the island while N’Keal moved with Felna.

N’Keal was always active, especially if there was a ball nearby. One of Felna’s brothers got him a basketball hoop for the door in his room for his second birthday, and he’d play with it all day long. So, shortly after the move to Scottsdale, Felna realized N’Keal needed more space to roam and moved to a house in Chandler.

As she put it, if she didn’t take him outside, she’d have to listen to the steady drumming of a ball off the floors and walls throughout the day.

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“I enjoyed every minute of that with N’Keal – except when I wanted to sleep and he was kicking the ball all over the place,” Felna said.

At the same time, Felna had to give up her retirement. She worked as a nursing assistant at a couple firms before joining Hospice of the Valley, where she took the overnight shift in order to devote the day to her grandson as he progressed through school and took a liking to seemingly every sport under the sun: basketball, soccer, karate and track and field.

Felna typically went to work at 10 p.m. – though she sometimes started as early as 6 p.m. – and finished her shift at 6 a.m. to return home in time to take N’Keal to school on weekdays and games and practices on weekends.

“I’d sit there (at games and practices) and half the times probably doze off and didn’t see what was happening,” Felna said. “Then I’d bring him home, grab some sleep then sometimes take him back in the afternoon depending on whichever sports he was playing. Then I’d come home after that, take a nap and go to work at 10 o’clock at night. Between 6 in the morning and 10 at night, that was dedicated to him.”

Eventually, N’Keal identified football as another true love, but it wasn’t a seamless immersion into the game. Felna’s friend had two older sons who played so she took N’Keal to some of their games, but he kept begging to put on their pads, trying to run onto the field and crying when he couldn’t do either. Felna had to end that experiment, but she did sign him up for flag football.

Like everything N’Keal played, he was great at it, and the coaches for the local tackle football league asked him to join. Felna initially couldn’t stomach the idea of her 8-year-old grandson getting involved. She was more accustomed to basketball, soccer and cricket in the Caribbean, but N’Keal was way too excited for Felna to say no.

“I thought it was a dangerous sport,” Felna said. “He enjoyed it. I can’t say I did. I really didn’t like to hear those helmets clashing. It was not good for me.”

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Aside from N’Keal’s impassioned purpose on the field, even in youth leagues, his involvement in a variety of sports helped broaden the family’s circle. Coaches recognized the toll the night shifts had taken on Felna, who sometimes didn’t even have time to change out of her uniform, so they’d offer to drive N’Keal home after practices and games to give her a chance for a longer nap.

Coaches typically had kids who were N’Keal’s age, so they’d take him overnight if he had an early-morning game on a weekend, or even out to a family event like trick-or-treating. Felna was grateful N’Keal was included in so many family activities, and just as much so for a bit of relief.

“It really took a village to raise him,” Felna said.

Finding his purpose

N’Keal Harry was a natural athlete. He was physically gifted, naturally talented and undeniably competitive. He’d play all day, return home for dinner and fall asleep at his grandmother’s table.

By his sophomore year of high school, it made sense to transfer to Chandler High. It was a far easier commute than Marcos de Niza High, and it probably helped that Chandler High had a superior football program, one populated by Harry’s friends from his youth leagues.

Shaun Aguano, who was Chandler’s head coach until this year when he was hired as Arizona State’s running backs coach, knew of Harry from a youth track program at the high school, so he was elated when Felna brought him to the athletic office for the first time.

“Of course, when a big kid comes in like that, everyone gets excited,” Aguano said.

Harry was in his element on the field, adding linebacker, safety and returner to his repertoire to maximize his playing time, and Chandler won the state championship during his junior season. He also became Arizona’s top-rated recruit and the nation’s No. 1 receiver recruit as a senior, but Harry had to get his grades in check.

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In Harry’s mind, he dedicated his life to football because he wanted to take care of Felna and his family in Saint Vincent. So he often got sidetracked with his schoolwork or didn’t complete his assignments. His teachers told Felna he was smart enough to be an A-student, but they also recognized his unique situation, and that football would help his family. Like Harry’s coaches, his teachers were happy to help Felna, so they remained in steady contact for the good of his grades.

That’s also when Aguano – and later Graham at ASU – felt compelled to convey to Harry that football can’t happen without the proper commitment to the classroom. And if that point wasn’t received? They’d threaten to sit him for a quarter or half if he was late for practice because he was held after school to catch up on work.

“As a teenager, he was not listening to me like he should have, and I couldn’t discipline him in the same way,” Felna said. “So if he didn’t do his homework, they would keep him after school until he finished.”

Felna admitted she was stricter on her own children than with N’Keal, primarily because of the different culture in America, but she was also working two jobs at that point to pay for his athletic fees, whether it was equipment or camps or AAU basketball costs.

So Felna relied on that village. Both Aguano and Graham pridefully said they were happy to take on leadership, father-like roles with Harry.

“His grandmother would call me his senior year,” Graham said, “and go, ‘Coach, you’ve got to come and get him to go to class.’ I’m going, ‘NCAA rules, I can’t do that.’ So I would call coach Shaun Aguano, and we’d work to get him through it. Just being honest with you, he really didn’t want to go to class his senior year of high school. His grandmother came here to give him the opportunity. So many people like his grandmother, and his mother and his sister, they sacrificed being together as a family for N’Keal to have this opportunity. He was so laser-focused on that and football.”

On the field, Aguano noted that Harry made outstanding plays so often they became routine, so his favorite memory was actually about the plays he didn’t make during the state championship victory. Chandler’s opponents were so devoted to preventing Harry from taking over the game that he had to give up the personal glory for the good of the team, either as a blocker or a decoy.

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“He was more excited for the team to win than his personal exploits,” Aguano said. “That told me about who he was. Of course, he wants the ball all the time, but that’s all receivers. He was happy. I saw him smile and dance with his teammates because we won the state championship. That showed me he came from a loving home and was brought up right.”

Plenty of colleges wanted a piece of Harry during his senior season, but he committed to ASU to stay close to his grandmother. Herm Edwards, who took over the Sun Devils last year, also coached Harry during the 2016 Under Armour All-America game and knew upon first sight that he’d get to the NFL – showcasing just how special he was at a young age.

But even with the college football universe at his fingertips, Harry’s decision to stay local was an easy one.

“(Felna) worked incredibly hard for him,” Aguano said. “She’s N’Keal’s heart and soul. Everything was for grandma, but it was reciprocal, too. They’re very, very close.”

Harry continued to flourish at Arizona State, and he never strayed from his No. 1 supporter, often returning home for dinner after games or just a quick hello during the week. Felna was at every home game, always waiting for N’Keal in the tunnel afterward, and traveled to road games whenever possible. She kept him grounded and narrowed his focus.

Graham, who coached Harry for two seasons at ASU, employs a host of superlatives to describe his star receiver, but one stuck out: Harry was the only player he’s ever coached who was both the team’s most talented player and hardest worker.

Graham and Harry developed their own strong bond. In terms of life lessons, Graham conveyed the proper way to treat his girlfriend, or just listened anytime Harry mentioned how much he missed his family in Saint Vincent. Of course, Harry spoke to his mother and sister on the phone, but it’s natural to crave that face-to-face interaction.

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Harry had a soft side that Graham always appreciated. The coach’s lasting impression of Harry occurred during their annual week at Camp Tontozona, which was ASU’s traditional training camp site. A young man in a wheelchair, who was a devoted fan, liked to attend those practices, and Harry spent a half hour after one of their workouts with him, playing catch, conversing, taking pictures and signing autographs.

Harry was typically generous with his time, especially for kids who wanted autographs. He also liked to stop by Chandler High and meet with the team, stressing the importance of staying in the weight room and preparing themselves the right way. Harry has always been naturally good with kids of all ages.

“He just had a giving heart,” Graham said. “The humility he had, that comes from his faith that was instilled by his grandmother.”

Graham was also demanding and held Harry to the highest standard on the team because of his status as a star and leader. When Harry skipped some classes as a freshman, Graham threatened his playing time. And there was one point when he did hold Harry out of a portion of the game due to “a combination of things,” and the discipline proved fruitful.

“The goals he set for himself were in the top 1/100,000th of 1 percent. He wanted to be the best, so I explained those things to him,” Graham said. “I would tell him, if you’re not uncomfortable, if I’m not pushing you, then I’m cheating you. I could not do those things and you’re still going to make plays, but you’re not going to reach your potential. So you’ve got to give me your permission to coach you like that.”

Harry rewarded Graham and later Edwards by exceeding his potential, though there were still times when he drove his coaches crazy with a competitive spirit that was a blessing and a curse.

Harry was a one-speed type of player – a walking cliché who treated practices like games. Graham would blow his top when Harry dove for passes during their lighter Thursday practices, which didn’t include pads during the season.

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There was one practice in particular when Graham banned his quarterbacks from throwing passes because Harry was hellbent on keeping anything and everything from hitting the grass. Other times, Graham just yelled at his assistant coaches to ensure the players understood the ban on diving during Thursday workouts.

It was funny in a way, though. As much as Graham wanted Harry to dial it back, he knew he couldn’t rewire the internal force that made him great.

“We’re fixin’ to play USC on Saturday and he’s diving for a ball in the end zone, stretching out and making a one-handed catch,” Graham said. “I go, ‘N’Keal, don’t be diving for a ball on Thursday. We don’t even have pads on.’ He would just look at me like, ‘What do you mean? I’m catching the ball.’ I don’t want him diving for the ball and getting hurt on Thursday. We’re not real smart if that happens.

“This guy is a beast of a competitor, and it’s because he has a heart of a lion. That comes from his grandmother and his mother. And tough people come out of tough times. His family really had to sacrifice.”

Edwards, who coached Harry during his junior season, had a similar experience during a half-speed Friday walkthrough. Quarterback Manny Wilkins delivered a low throw to Harry, who tried to catch it anyway and tripped over the ball to nearly sprain his ankle.

“He couldn’t finish the walkthrough,” Edwards said. “I’m going, ‘Are you kidding me?’”

But that’s Harry’s spirit. He had nothing to prove to his teammates but still sold out to win every sprint during summer training sessions. He treated video games at the facility like life-or-death situations. And Harry, who once shattered a backboard in a high school basketball game, boasted to Edwards that his girlfriend, ASU basketball star Kianna Ibis, had never beaten him one-on-one.

“I told him one day,” Edwards recalled with an intensifying laugh, “‘She’s got a better shot than you, N’Keal.’ He comes back at me, ‘She hasn’t beat me, coach. I don’t let her beat me.’ I look at the guy and go, ‘You know, you’ve got to figure this one out. She’s your girlfriend. She’s a good basketball player. In my brain, I wouldn’t want to beat my girlfriend every time on the basketball court.’ He says, ‘Coach, I haven’t lost to her. I don’t lose to her.’ He was dead serious.”

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It’s the same way on the field. Like former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Harry is known to will himself through tacklers. Last season in a 38-35 victory against USC, Harry earned loads of attention for a one-handed catch in the fourth quarter, but Edwards preferred to point toward his 92-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third, when he reversed field toward his own end zone before angling past seven Trojans who had a shot at him. Edwards admitted he initially wasn’t thrilled Harry fielded the punt, but the star wideout validated the gamble with the big play.

Harry also liked to remind Edwards, if they were in a tight game, he’d be open during decisive drives. Edwards likes to say there are two types of players – those who hide in the shadows during key moments, and those like Harry who relish in the spotlight.

It’s easy to see where that is rooted.

“(Felna) did a great job with him,” Edwards said. He thinks the world of her. There’s no doubt about it. It’s a great story. Now, the ending is up to him.”

Paying it back

After Belichick hung up with Harry the night of the draft, the coach had another conversation on the docket with Graham, and it revealed just how highly the Patriots thought of the Arizona State receiver.

“When I talked to coach Belichick the night that he drafted N’Keal,” Graham relayed, “(Belichick) told me, ‘Man, we were so fortunate that he was still there.’ They were so glad he was still available. They had him graded a lot higher than where he was taken in the first round.”

At the Harry family reunion, they rang in N’Keal’s draft selection with a celebration they’ll never forget – and one Felna planned for months and envisioned for years.

At least now, she has a little more time on her hands, as she retired in March – this time for good – and she pointed out it “was long overdue.” And in case Harry was wondering, yes, Felna has seen his comments that he’d like to buy her something with his first NFL paycheck.

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“I told him I’m holding him to that,” Felna said.

Before N’Keal moved to the Foxboro area for organized team activities, he crammed in plenty of time with Felna and the rest of his family in Arizona, as they enjoyed a few more dinners and relaxing moments together. Felna hoped to see N’Keal last weekend, but Tom Brady invited the rookie to his house in Brookline for a throwing session. It’s a job now – and a dream job for Harry in so many ways.

Felna, who might fly to New England this coming weekend, hasn’t determined whether she would permanently move across the country now that N’Keal has a four-year contract with a fifth-year option. There is most certainly one obstacle in the way, though.

“I know it’s a nice place, but I also know it’s a very cold place,” Felna said. “I do not know anything about the cold. At my age, I don’t know that I want to challenge that cold.”

The Harry family reunion couldn’t last forever in Arizona, as Felna’s four children and grandchildren all returned to Saint Vincent to go back to work and school. One of Felna’s daughters is expected to move to America later this year, as she is going through the final steps of an immigration process that started six years ago.

N’Keal’s mother, Naudine, has not yet started her application process, as N’Keal’s sister is working through high school and they don’t want to uproot her until she finishes her education. But each family member has a 10-year visa that they can use to vacation in America.

Felna already hopes to orchestrate another family reunion at one of N’Keal’s games during the season, though she might have to zero in on September for weather purposes. She always has family on her mind, of course.

“When I think of my time at ASU, it’s one of the most special relationships that I’ve had the privilege to be a part of – getting to know his grandmother,” Graham said. “When I think of N’Keal Harry, I think of the love of a grandmother and the sacrifice of a mother and sister. That’s what makes him.

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“It’s almost a calling what he is doing. It’s almost like a mission that he is on for his family.”

Through sacrifice, Felna forged the better path for N’Keal that she envisioned so many years ago.

Through football, N’Keal has created new opportunities for Felna and their family.

Together, they unified a dream.

(Top photo of N’Keal Harry: Charles Krupa/AP)

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