NFL journeyman Clay Harbor said he could have won Becca Kufrin’s heart on “The Bachelorette” if he had not suffered a wrist injury that required surgery.
“I think that we had a connection, and the way that we were progressing, if we continued to progress at that rate, I definitely could have been one of the final guys there,” Harbor told the Tribune by phone.
Instead, the Illinois native eliminated himself from the ABC network competition after tearing ligaments in his left wrist while playing — of all things — football with his fellow contestants during a group date with Kufrin. Harbor, 30, said he chose to go home early so he could heal in enough time before training camp.
Harbor announced his decision after Kufrin gave him a rose so he could advance to the next round. She tearfully bade him goodbye at the end of last week’s episode.
“To have to leave under those circumstances was very difficult — one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in my life,” Harbor said.
The free agent tight end said he immediately underwent surgery after leaving the show — five pins were put in his wrist to hold the ligaments together — but he’s optimistic about his future in the NFL. Harbor said he has a few workouts scheduled, but he declined to comment on which teams have shown interest.
Harbor was born in Libertyville and raised in Waukegan and downstate Dwight, where he went to high school. He attended Missouri State University and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010. He now calls Naperville and Chicago home.
Harbor became one of 28 contestants on Season 14 of “The Bachelorette” after a friend went through the casting process and passed his information to a producer. He’s still single, but said he enjoyed the experience of being on the show.
“I have no regrets going on the show at all. I know it ended tragically for me in breaking my arm, but I think Becca’s amazing and it’s worth the effort and everything to get to know her,” Harbor said. “The rehab’s going well, and I look forward to being on the football field this next coming season.”
Kufrin, a Minnesota native, continues her search for a husband on “The Bachelorette,” which airs at 7 p.m. Mondays.
tswartz@tribpub.com
Twitter @tracyswartz
