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03.31.03 -- Offensive specialist Damian Harrell is in the midst of his fifth Arena Football League season and his first as a member of the Colorado Crush. Harrell ranks among the League leaders in all receiving categories this season, including yards, receptions, touchdowns and points. He averaged 113 yards per game en route to Player of the Month honors for February. Damian made his AFL debut in 1999 with the New England Sea Wolves and caught 25 passes for 362 yards and nine touchdowns.

He rose to AFL prominence in 2000 when he recorded 61 receptions for 808 yards and 18 touchdowns in only seven games prior to suffering a season-ending arm injury. At the time of the injury, he was leading all AFL receivers in every statistical category.

Harrell, a 27 year-old graduate of Florida State University, joined the Crush on December 12. In the following Q&A session, Harrell shares a few of his thoughts:

Q: What do you think about the fans of the Colorado Crush?
Damien Harrell: The fan support actually speaks for itself. Our home games have been sold out, over 17,000. The support is just crazy. This is a football-crazy town and it's real exciting to be out here."

Q: What does the team need to do to turn it around in the second half of the season?
DH: To really turn it around, what we have to do is just play a whole four quarters. We're not as consistent as we want to be right now. We're playing a good two to three quarters, but somewhere along the mid part of third to the fourth quarter, we're not doing the things that we need to do to help ourselves win the game.

Q: What do you think about playing for John Elway?
DH: He's here everyday, around the field. He's a living legend. It's really exciting working with John because you can learn so much from him.

Q: What do you think of Head Coach Bob Beers?
DH: He's a great guy. He's a player's coach. He listens to us when we have
things that we want to get across to him that might help us. It's not a
dictatorship. He listens to us.

Q: What is your most memorable moment in your AFL career?
DH: I never really sat down and looked at it that way ... to me, I'm just having fun right now. Every game to me is about the same, so I really couldn't say.

Q: What has been the toughest AFL arena to play in?
DH: I would say Tampa (Bay), Orlando and Arizona. Places like that are really exciting. I like it when the fans get on you. Those three arenas are definitely the toughest places to play.

Q: Which team is the toughest that you have faced this season?
DH: The toughest that I have seen, as far as being physical ... I would have to say San Jose, definitely.

Q: Who is the toughest player that you have played against in your AFL career?
DH: I went against some good players. It would be hard just to say one or two players. I will definitely say Clevan (Thomas) out there in San Jose. Clevan, he's a great DB. There are few guys out there, but he's the first one that comes to mind.

Q: Which football player did you model your play after as a kid?
DH: Michael Irvin, definitely. I watched him play in college and the NFL. I definitely wanted to have my game on the level that his game was on.

Q: What would be your dream football highlight?
DH: Going up and catching a touchdown pass over like two or three guys - that would be the definite highlight for me - winning the game with a catch like that.