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Sometimes you have to sit back and be patient in life.

And there are times when you have to go out and take what you want.

Every now and then, though, you have to do a little bit of both.

That’s where Will Harris found himself back in May when he initially signed with the Saints. He wasn’t a priority free agent by any means, and when he came to New Orleans, he wasn’t promised a role or a roster spot. He was going to have to take it, but he would also have to bide his time a bit. So, he decided he was going to do both and stay the course.

Throughout the offseason, it was undetermined who would play safety beside Tyrann Mathieu. Incumbents Jordan Howden and Johnathan Abram were the favorites for the job, and, to be honest, at least initially, Harris was a bit of an afterthought in those conversations. But he didn’t care. He threw his hat in the ring, battled alongside the others, and just stayed the course.

Then, when Harris started making progress and began asserting himself as a factor in the battle, his former college teammate, Justin Simmons, was brought in to meet with the Saints to discuss a possible signing. Harris didn’t worry about it. He did the only thing he could do: Stay the course.

And that’s where he stayed until, eventually, he was named the starter for Week 1. Now he is playing beside a player that he has held in high esteem for a long time in Mathieu. Meanwhile, Simmons signed with the Falcons.

“You’re talking about a guy who was making ridiculous plays at LSU,” Harris said. “Talking about a guy who was in the Heisman race as a DB, you don't see that. So, he's definitely legendary. it's great to be able to learn from him, kind of feed off of him, feed off of his energy and know how he attacks the game.”

On the Carolina Panther’s first offensive snap Harris put himself in the perfect position to catch a tone-setting interception in a 47-10 win. His, “being where your feet are mentality” had started well before becoming a Saint.

Harris is the son of 1993 NFL draft pick Will Harris Sr, his father instilled a work ethic into his son that he carries to this day.

“One thing that my father emphasized since birth was, ‘Whatever you do, you're going to put our all into it,’” Harris said. “It’s either you get better or you get worse mentality. Even on an off day, even on a rest day, it doesn't have to be physical, but there's something that you could be doing, whether that be mentally or spiritually to make yourself better. I think that's where it all started from.”

His move to New Orleans has come with some familiarity since Harris played under Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who previously coached defensive backs for the Saints.

“His buy-in has been outstanding,” Allen said “He’s picking up the scheme, him coming from Detroit and being with AG (Aaron Glenn) in Detroit, I think he had a little bit of familiarity with what we were doing…He’s a smart player, he works hard. It’s important to him and I think when you’ve got some ability, you’re smart and willing to work at it, I think usually that’s a recipe for success.”

Throughout his career Harris has been a versatile player in the secondary and line up at various spots.

“I would say that the biggest thing it gave me is perspective because at this point, I've been able to see it from a lot of different perspectives on the field,” Harris said. “ As far as, how different coverages look, how different coverages affect you, what are the weak points in every coverage. Being able to adjust, being able to think on the run and being able to problem solve and critically think. So, having to do that at corner, at nickel, at safety, whatever, that's been, that was a huge blessing for me.”

In previous seasons team culture has been a huge talking point. But one of the biggest changes going into Dennis Allen's third season as Saints head coach is that the team now has a culture of accountability and hard work.

"I'm surrounded by guys left and right to who all live by that same standard," Harris said. "They just come to work, ready to work, ready to lock in. It means the world to these guys. For me, I fall in line with that same mindset. It's amazing because you feed off of guys and you feed off of different types of energy in the locker room. It's great to be around.”

In a secondary with Mathieu and Marshon Lattimore, it seems Harris fits right in with the dominant presence they continue to build upon.