The new HBO documentary that told the confounding story of Bishop Sycamore, the fake high school that found its way on ESPN, featured a small HBCU connection.
When the infamous football team played prep powerhouse IMG Academy on ESPN in 2021, it was led by quarterback Trilian Harris.
“I’m looking [at myself in the mirror] like ‘This is the biggest day of your life, man,’” Harris explained in the HBO Documentary “BS High,” “I’m going against one of the top programs in the country, and if I beat them I’m the man. If I beat them, I’m a dog out here, I’m going to get the most respect out here.”
Harris and Bishop Sycamore teammates were soundly beaten on ESPN by IMG, and soon the program came under scrutiny.
Reports surfaced that Bishop Sycamore, founded by coach Roy Johnson, falsely claimed the school was associated with an Ohio church. It was later discovered that none of the athletes on the team was receiving formal education or even adhering to state educational standards. Johnson had piled up thousands in debt and even allegedly acquired government PPP loans in the names of unsuspecting players.
After the program dissolved, Harris — one of many former Bishop Sycamore athletes to appear in the HBO project — received a scholarship offer from Grambling State despite the negative attention the football garnered.
“I felt that I’m living my dream, even though I’m not there yet, I was living my dreams,” Harris said. “I was very excited, and that’s why I have these tears coming out because I knew I could make it at an HBCU.”
Happy Birthday Nana … I miss you thank you for believing in me the most🖤 #LLNaNa #LLBP1 #LMB pic.twitter.com/ngHo4Pcry1
— Trill (@Trilianharris1) April 28, 2022
Harris, however, had his scholarship pulled because Bishop Sycamore lacked academics.
“As soon as they found out about Bishop Sycamore, everything went left,” Harris said. “As soon as I thought I was actually happy I found out my Grambling offer was taken away because I went to Bishop Sycamore. I broke down. I went to my room and cried. I was supposed to be living my dreams. I’m supposed to be the one to show the little homies whatever you go through, you can make it, you can make it to D-I.”
After the fallout involving the Grambling scholarship, Harris is reportedly now playing quarterback at East Los Angeles College, a junior college that was most recently featured on “Last Chance U: Basketball” by Netflix.
