Call him Mister: Vegas Vipers’ DB pursues NFL dreams through XFL

The former standout defensive back at Sacramento State and lifelong resident of California’s capital city relocated to the valley during the COVID pandemic when he was trying to figure out his future and his girlfriend was playing basketball at UNLV.

He immediately felt right at home.

“I personally will live there the rest of my life because (the community) brought me in and treated me like a family,” Harriel said from the Vipers’ training camp in Texas. “It’s nothing but a positive atmosphere. There’s just always something to do. You have different parts of Vegas I had never experienced. And getting to see the bright lights every day was just something very new and exciting.”

Harriel, who turns 26 Thursday, and the Vipers will open the season Saturday on the road against the Arlington (Texas) Renegades. They will debut in Harriel’s adopted hometown Feb. 25 against the D.C. Defenders at Cashman Field.

He’s just happy about the opportunity to play football.

Harriel, who has been limited in practice with a thigh injury, comes from a basketball family and was a standout in the sport until his football talent pushed him to Sacramento State, where he played mostly offense early in his collegiate career. He truly started to shine when he switched to defense and was squarely on the radar of NFL scouts before an injury-plagued final season.

Harriel signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League just in time to see the 2020 season canceled.

“I thought it was over for me,” he said. “That happened before I even made it up to Canada. I had to sleep in the car and do a lot of things I never thought I’d do. Playing football, you think the next level is there when you come out of college. But it was a real humbling experience that I’ll never regret.”

After Harriel moved to Las Vegas, he played for the KnightHawks of the Indoor Football League and had a standout season that led to an XFL contract.

Now he has his sights set on the ultimate goal of making an NFL roster. He believes he is in the right place to make that happen. The Vipers are coached by Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson, whose staff includes two former NFL defensive backs — defensive coordinator Cris Dishman and defensive backs coach Darren Perry.

“These are big-time names that played in the NFL, so I feel like if we go out and do what we can do, they’ll take care of the rest,” Harriel said. “I feel like this is the best opportunity to get us to the NFL. I’ve learned a lot from them.”

Now Harriel knows it’s time to make his own name on the field, though his is already unique. He’s actually Mister Harriel II. His grandfather named his dad Mister so that he would always have to be addressed with respect, and the tradition has carried on.

Harriel has a younger brother who is a standout high school basketball player in Northern California named SirMister.

“My parents have a little creativity to them,” said Harriel, who has seven siblings.

They also have athletic ability. His father played basketball professionally in Europe, and his mother was a volleyball player. His sister plays basketball at Stanford,

Harriel also has some skills on the basketball court, which will be forever immortalized in the viral trick shot videos he posted on social media in college that made their way to the top 10 on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

He hopes to put together the kind of game film in the XFL that captures the attention of NFL scouts in the same way.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.