Quarterback Frank Harris, right, with Cam Peters on the first day of UTSA Fall football camp at the Roadrunner Athletics Center for Excellence, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022

As he reached up to rub his eyes or tried to blink his problem away, UTSA quarterback Frank Harris felt nerves start to creep in.

When his focus should have been rushing to the line and relaying the signals from coaches, he was instead contending with a blurry contact lens, whether from a drip of sweat or a pellet off the turf at the Alamodome.

Harris said he wore glasses from the time he was 5 years old, and contacts were far from a perfect solution on the field, sometimes leaving his eyes feeling dry or itchy.

So, shortly after the final game of the 2021 season, Harris underwent LASIK surgery with Parkhurst NuVision in San Antonio, restoring him to 20/15 vision for the first time “since I was a little kid,” he said.

After he set program records with 3,177 passing yards and 27 touchdowns last season, Harris said the improvements to his sight could make him even more potent in 2022.

“I can finally see,” Harris said. “It was a no-brainer for me. A life-changing experience. Now, I don’t wear contacts or glasses. It was a great decision.”

Along with the orange loafers and flashy Conference USA championship ring that made Harris a standout at the league’s media day event in Arlington, he also wore a white wristband that reads “I (heart) my Lasik.”

He was still sporting the same wristband when he took the field for the first practice of UTSA’s fall camp Wednesday.

“I can see further, and I can see clearer,” Harris said. “I never have to worry about wiping my eyes if sweat comes, or my contacts getting blurry. It’s something that was pretty good that I think is going to benefit me.”

Harris said the short procedure produced almost immediate results. After one day and a few nights wearing protective goggles, he was back to his normal routine.

Harris, who set two school records a season ago, has already seen improvement in his play thanks to the enhanced vision.

Coach Jeff Traylor said people would be “shocked” to learn how often issues with contact lenses require a trainer’s attention during a typical game — a hurdle he’s glad Harris won’t have to worry about in 2022.

“He doesn’t squint so much when he’s looking at the sideline for the signal, so that’s always refreshing when it’s your quarterback,” Traylor joked.

Wide receiver Joshua Cephus said Harris’ improved vision “speeds him up a little bit,” allowing him to identify targets earlier and deliver on-time throws.

After meeting with Harris for a few independent workouts on off days during the summer, wideout De’Corian Clark said Harris’ timing has taken a step forward.

“I can tell the difference,” Clark said. “Normally, me and his connection, I tell him, ‘Just throw it up. I’ll go get it.’ Now, he’s doing that, as well as putting it to spots.”

Harris, who has an NIL deal with Parkhurst NuVision, has been touting the benefits of the procedure to prospective patients through his social media accounts, on top of in-person appeals to teammates and coaches.

He even pitched staffers and media members on the possibilities at C-USA’s media day.

“He’s a staunch advocate,” Traylor said. “Whether it’s because he’s getting paid to say it, or it’s real, I have not deciphered. But, yes, he’s a staunch advocate.”

Traylor said he and Harris met to discuss the benefits and risks of surgery before the operation, and Harris’ praise for the results has encouraged Traylor to consider the possibility himself.

Traylor has been wearing glasses or contacts for about eight or nine years, he said, and he found that he wasn’t yet eligible for LASIK as his vision continues to deteriorate.

In the interim, Traylor said he wears prescription sunglasses for outdoor games and contacts in the Alamodome, even as they make him “just miserable over there the whole time.”

“It’s the worst part of my day. I hate putting them in,” Traylor said. “Frank and I just laugh about it. Everybody can hear me in my office, just screaming and hollering mad, because the thing didn’t go in my eye the first time.”

Greg Luca is the UTSA beat reporter and general assignment reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. In addition to UTSA, his coverage includes the University of Incarnate Word, the San Antonio Missions and other San Antonio area colleges. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Florida and a native of Connecticut. He was the sports editor of the McAllen Monitor from 2014-18.