Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

The inspiration driving Jacory Harris to win every Saturday reaches far deeper than any Heisman hype ever could.

It started when he was in 10th grade at Northwestern High School and received a letter from his cousin, Keyvaris Pollock, who was in jail for reasons Harris declined to specify. Pollock wrote with the hopes that Harris might be willing to play for his favorite team, Miami. At that point, the nearby Canes weren’t even an afterthought in Harris’ fledgling recruiting process.

Pollack’s letter changed that, but it’s not the only part of Harris’ past that has kept him grounded during a season in which he has become the leader of Miami football and the face of the Hurricanes’ offense. One of his best friends, James Anderson, was killed in a drive-by shooting in their Miami neighborhood on April 23, 2006. It was the same year Harris received the letter from his cousin.

Those are the people, along with his parents and close friends, Harris thinks about on Saturdays to help him concentrate -- not the swarm of fans and media members who jump on and off the Cane train with one loss to Virginia Tech.

“They’re the ones who hit me up every week and let me know that no matter what, whatever happens in this game or whatever game, we’re still at your side,” Harris said. “You could be the worst quarterback in the nation and we’ll still be there for you because you’re our boy. They just let me know that.”

Harris' friends and family aren't the only ones who have confidence in their quarterback heading into Saturday's game against Oklahoma.

“He’ll be fine,” coach Randy Shannon said. “He’ll bounce back. Coach Whipple will do a great job of getting him back on track. The next game is the next game. You can’t let Virginia Tech affect what you’re trying to get done against Oklahoma.”

And Harris hasn't. The only thing that will possibly affect him this weekend will be Oklahoma's defense. And win or lose, he's got a tight-knit support group he can always turn to. His cousin, who was released from jail in time to see Harris make his first collegiate start against Charleston Southern, tries to make it to every home game.

"It was just amazing how I went to the University of Miami and he was released early in order to see my season," Harris said. "That really meant a lot to me."

It's those people, Harris said, who give him inspiration on game day -- not past performances or postseason possibilities.