Ollison finds way to forgiveness after tragedy: Out of Pitt, running back
Qadree Ollison embraces comparisons to former teammate
James Conner, the former third-round pick who racked up 1,470 yards from scrimmage in 2018. Who wouldn't? Both are 6-1, 230 pounds, and they have similar running styles. Ollison told me: "James has got a mean stiff arm -- he's able to use his off hand to break tackles -- and I've applied that to my game. He's also a great leader, has great character. And he's a genuine guy. Even when lights aren't on, he's still the same person."
Ollison considers himself the "smartest" running back in the draft. He has the reputation of being a wizard when it comes to the white board, drawing up plays, defensive fronts, coverages, blitzes. "I take a lot of pride in being a student of the game," he said. "I'm never going to go out there and not know what I'm doing. I had four offensive coordinators at Pitt; I had no trouble learning every offense."
But Ollison's most impressive moments have come off the football field. His 35-year-old brother, Rome Harris -- "my football hero," Ollison said -- was fatally shot on Oct. 14, 2017, in Ollison's hometown of Niagara Falls.
Last season, Ollison changed his football number from 37 to 30, the number his brother once wore. He also took the extraordinary step of forgiving his brother's killer, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
"The only way to get past something is to forgive somebody," Ollison said. "If you have hate in your heart, you never get past it. I can't hate anybody. I try to spread love."
