Broncos’ cornerback Chris Harris did not have a football home in the summer of 2011 as an undrafted rookie free agent in the midst of an NFL lockout. So Harris returned to the one place that made sense while in limbo.

His actual home.

Bixby, Okla., sits about 20 miles south of Tulsa in a suburban community of roughly 26,000 known for scenic views of the Arkansas River, agriculture and high school football. Loren Montgomery is Bixby’s longtime high school coach and recalls two things about that July in particular: The hottest recorded month in state history (26 days of 100-plus degrees) and Harris showing up daily to the high school football facility.

“He’s out there in the heat on the field or the in weight room busting his tail,” Montgomery said. “He had some of his relatives out there running routes against him and timing him.”

Said Harris: “I always thanked Coach Montgomery for letting me go up there and make it my home. I pretty much took over and was able to get all my work.”

Broncos’ fans need no reminder of what happened next. Harris enters Year 9 in Denver with 105 career regular season starts, 80 pass deflections, 19 interceptions and a new one-year contract worth $12.05 million. And for the last several offseasons he’s recharged back home with an annual camp called the “Chris Harris Jr. Underdog Academy.”

What started as a small Bixby football camp for kids to gauge local interest has blossomed into a full-fledged community celebration. On Saturday, the high school hosted an estimated 400 kids and their families where hands-on football and life skills training were combined with food trucks, carnival rides and a fireworks show. Harris picked up the entire tab so anyone could attend.

“His heart is beyond big,” said Bixby athletic director Jay Bittle. “There are a bunch of low-income kids who get to come to a football camp they may not get to go to around the community. It fills up very quickly and he does a tremendous job with his staff. He’s just a real inspiration to a lot of people.”

Harris’s family ties run deep in Bixby.

Bittle attended school with Harris’ mother, Lisa, played college basketball at the University of Tulsa with his uncle, Timmy, and even taught Chris as an eighth-grader at Bixby Middle School in typing class. Bittle recalled Harris often helping special needs students before starting his own work.

When historic Oklahoma flooding ravaged portions of the state last month, Bixby High School put out a call on social media asking for volunteers to create a sandbag barrier around campus before the storms hit. Bittle said: “We had 800 people within two hours. It was crazy how giving and helpful everybody was.”

No surprise to Harris. Much of his family still lives “real deep in Bixby in the flood zone” and said thankfully water damage was limited. Other residents weren’t so lucky, including several members of the football team, whose families have since received community aid, Montgomery said.

“Bixby is different,” Harris said. “We went to school together from kindergarten all the way up. It was definitely a tight-knit group.”

Harris spent Saturday ensuring the small-town values he cherished about Bixby continue in a new generation. But now with greater goals in mind. Harris, arguably the town’s most famous son, has a platform to teach more than just football at his camp.

“The main focus is teaching them about all aspects of life,” Harris said. “I want to strain them, get them tired and have them thinking. Build their mental toughness. We’ve got a lot of teamwork activities so we want them to learn to work together.” Related Articles 🔊 Broncos podcast: Previewing Denver’s must-win Week 3 home showdown against Tampa Bay

Broncos Briefs: Blake Bortles practices, but Brett Rypien likely backup quarterback against Tampa Bay

Tom Brady at Mile High: More lows than highs for arguably best-ever NFL quarterback

Broncos scouting report: How Denver matches up against Buccaneers and predictions

Newman: Jump-starting Broncos’ passing game centers around more targets for tight end Noah Fant

Added Montgomery: “He talks a lot about how Bixby is a special place for him. It’s important to recognize his beginning and that he has been an underdog; to prove to people in our community and the Tulsa area that you do have a chance.”

A permanent reminder exists on the drive up to Bixby’s football stadium. The final stretch is named Chris Harris Jr. Road.

“That just recognizes I left a legacy there,” Harris said.

It continues to grow.