Rodney Scott Harrison (born December 15, 1972 in ) is a retired
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
safetySafety is an American and Canadian football position played by a member of the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up from ten to fifteen yards behind the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position in a typical formation, the free safety and the strong safety ....
. He was drafted by the
San Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are an American Professional Football team based in San Diego, California. They are currently members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The club began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League...
in the fifth round of the
1994 NFL DraftThe 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, after playing
college footballCollege football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States...
at Western Illinois.
A two-time
Pro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection, Harrison is the only player in NFL history to record both 30
sacksIn American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled or run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass...
and 30
interceptionsAn interception or intercept is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, and involves a pass being cut off by an opposition player who usually gains possession for their...
. He earned two
Super Bowl ringThe Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl....
s with the
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
.
Early years
Harrison went to high school at
Marian Catholic High SchoolMarian Catholic High School is a co-educational, college preparatory secondary school in Chicago Heights, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.-History:...
in
Chicago Heights, IllinoisChicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 31,373 at the 2005 census.-History:The first European settler in the area was Absalom Wells in 1833. He built a log cabin where the Vincennes Trail crossed Thorn Creek, but then moved farther west to where Chicago...
. In March 2006, Marian Catholic retired Harrison's #37 jersey, although Harrison never actually wore #37 while in high school. Harrison's varsity numbers were #26 as a sophomore, #11 as a junior and #3 as a senior. Harrison graduated from high school in 1991.
College career
Harrison played college football at
Western Illinois UniversityWestern Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
from 1991 to 1993. He is the school's record-holder for tackles in a career (345) and tackles in a game (28). As a freshman, Harrison was a second-team All-
Gateway Football ConferenceThe Missouri Valley Football Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern United States...
before being named a first-team All-Gateway pick as a sophomore and junior. The
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
also named him a second-team
All-AmericanThe College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
as a sophomore and a first-team All-American as a junior. He majored in General Studies.
San Diego Chargers
Harrison was originally drafted in the fifth round of the
1994 draftThe 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, (145th overall) by the
San Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are an American Professional Football team based in San Diego, California. They are currently members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The club began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League...
, the same year they made their only
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League, the premier association of professional American football. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast. Many popular singers and musicians have performed during the event’s pre-game and...
(
Super Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
) to date, which they lost to the
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers 1994 season was their 49th season in the National Football League. For the third consecutive season, the 49ers led the league in points scored. The season was highlighted by their fifth Super Bowl victory, making themselves the first team to win five Super Bowls. A big...
. Harrison became a starting member of the Chargers'
1997The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
defense, going to two Pro Bowls with the Chargers in
1998The 1999 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 7, 1999 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 23, NFC 10. Keyshawn Johnson of the New York Jets and Ty Law of the New England Patriots were the game's MVPs...
and
2001The 2002 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 9, 2002 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38, NFC 30. Rich Gannon of the Oakland Raiders was the game's MVP.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Offense:-Defense:...
.
2003
Following the
2002The 2002 season of the National Football League was the 83rd one played by the major professional American football league in the United States. The league expanded to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
season, on February 27, 2003, Harrison was released in a
salary capIn professional sports, a salary cap is a limit on the amount of money a team can spend on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
move by the Chargers. Harrison said it was "only a matter of time" before he was released, and that he "was happy to test the free agent market."
Two weeks later, on March 13, Harrison landed with the Patriots, signing a six-year deal. At the time, the Patriots had both Harrison and fellow Pro Bowl safety
Lawyer MilloyLawyer Milloy is an American football safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
under contract. However, throughout the offseason the Patriots and Milloy were involved in contract negotiations, with the Patriots requesting Milloy take a pay cut or be released. Milloy did not comply, and on September 2, he was released.
Prior to the
2003 seasonThe 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
, Harrison was named a defensive captain in his first year with the Patriots by his teammates.
On January 10, 2004 in the
divisional playoffThe NFL playoffs following the 2003 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVIII.Beginning with the 2003–04 season, the NFL changed the selection procedures regarding officials for playoffs games. The league suspended the prior practice of assembling "all-star" officiating crews of highly-rated...
game against the
Tennessee Titans-Season Summary:At 12-4 the Titans posted the 15th season with at least ten wins in the franchise's history dating to their Houston Oilers days. Quarterback Steve McNair threw for 3,215 yards and 24 touchdowns to just seven interceptions; he also rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns, all...
, he intercepted
Steve McNairSteve LaTreal McNair , nicknamed Air McNair, was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
, which set up
Antowain SmithAntowain Drurell Smith is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played 9 NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. At 6'2", , Smith's powerful running style made him an effective runner between the tackles...
's touchdown, as New England would hold on for a 17–14 win. In the
AFC Championship GameThe American Football Conference Championship Game, otherwise known as AFC Championship Game, is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January...
the next week against the
Indianapolis ColtsThe 2003 Indianapolis Colts season was the 51st season for the team in the National Football League and 20th in Indianapolis.- Division standings :...
, Harrison intercepted
Peyton ManningPeyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. One of only two three-time NFL MVPs, he is statistically regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time...
in the end zone and forced a
Marvin HarrisonMarvin Daniel Harrison is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Colts with the 19th pick in the 1996 NFL Draft...
fumble recovered by teammate
Tyrone PooleTyrone Poole is an American football cornerback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers 22nd overall of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fort Valley State....
. Harrison then went on to help
New England PatriotsThe 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
win their second title in three years, against the
Carolina PanthersThe 2003 Carolina Panthers season was the ninth season for the team in the National Football League. They tried to improve upon their 7-9 record in 2002, and make it to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history....
in
Super Bowl XXXVIIISuper Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
, 32–29. He fractured his right arm late in the game, but a
Tom BradyThomas Edward "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls, winning three...
-led drive and
Adam VinatieriAdam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in four Super Bowls, three with the Patriots and one with the Colts, winning all four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2007 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2002, 2004, &...
field goal secured the Patriots' victory. In his tenth year in the league, Harrison earned his first Super Bowl ring.
Harrison was also named to the Associated Press' All-Pro team following a 140-tackle (a 2003 NFL best for a
defensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
) and three-sack season.
2004
The
2004 seasonThe 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in three years.Following a Super Bowl...
produced a similar performance from the ex-Charger. Harrison helped New England's defense finish second in the NFL in scoring for 2004. For the second straight season, Harrison's 138 tackles led all defensive backs in the NFL. Harrison also started all sixteen regular season games for the sixth time in his career, holding together a Patriots secondary that was without
Ty LawTajuan "Ty" Law is an American football cornerback playing in the National Football League and is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan.Law is a two-time All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowl selection...
and Tyrone Poole for the majority of the season.
In the Patriots'
divisional playoffThe NFL playoffs following the 2004 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXIX.-NFC: St. Louis Rams 27, Seattle Seahawks 20:at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington*Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m...
game against the Colts, Harrison intercepted Peyton Manning late in the game to end the Colts' last chance. The next week in the AFC Championship, Harrison jumped a
Ben RoethlisbergerBenjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He is concidered an uber quarterback. He was drafted by the Steelers 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
pass and took it 87 yards for a touchdown, helping the Patriots defeat the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6-10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games....
, 41–27. During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Harrison got into a verbal feud with
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
receiver
Freddie MitchellFreddie Lee Mitchell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who most recently played for the Philadelphia Eagles...
after Mitchell claimed he "had something for Harrison" and did not know the names of the New England secondary. Harrison, in
Super Bowl XXXIXSuper Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on 6 February 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, would record seven tackles, a sack, and two interceptions of quarterback
Donovan McNabbDonovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He has been the Eagles franchise quarterback since 1999. McNabb played college football for Syracuse University...
, despite missing almost an entire quarter due to an injury sustained during the game. The second interception, with ten seconds remaining in the game, preserved a 24–21 Patriot win, ensuring a third championship in four years.
2005–2008
The
2005 seasonThe 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos....
began a string of multiple injuries for the 12th-year safety with Harrison's season coming to an end on September 25 against the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 15-1 record from 2004 in which they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Steelers, with the sixth and final seed to the playoffs, became just the second team ever to win...
, when he was hit in the knee by a falling
Cedrick WilsonCedrick Wilson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
and tore the
ACLThe anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament....
,
MCLThe medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
, and
PCLThe posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
in his left knee. Harrison was subsequently placed on the
injured reserveThe injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League. It is used so that player does not take up a roster spot. In football, when a player is placed on the...
list, ending his season.
Slightly over ten months after his season-ending injury, Harrison returned to Patriots practice for the first time on August 7, 2006. After sporadic playing time in the preseason, Harrison started the first seven of the Patriots' games in
2006The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs....
, totaling 23 tackles and one sack. However, while making a tackle on Marvin Harrison against the Colts on November 5, Harrison injured his right shoulder and missed the next six weeks of the season. He returned for the Patriots' penultimate game of the season against the
Tennessee TitansThe 2006 Tennessee Titans season began with the team trying to improve on their 4-12 record in 2005.-Offseason:In 2006, exciting news for the future came when in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Titans, with the third overall pick, chose Vince Young, star quarterback out of the University of Texas, and with...
, but his season was ended the next week after a low block from
Bobby WadeRobert Louis Wade, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
injured his right knee.
Harrison was suspended for the first four games of the 2007 regular season for admitting to federal investigators that he knowingly obtained and used
human growth hormoneGrowth hormone is a protein-based poly-peptide hormone. It stimulates growth and cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. It is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide hormone that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of...
. Harrison stated to the media that he used "a banned substance" for "accelerating the healing process from injuries [he] sustained playing football," and "never to gain a competitive edge." In addition, according to federal agents and Harrison himself, Harrison received a shipment of HGH, with his name on it, just days before
Super Bowl XXXVIIISuper Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
in February 2004.
Harrison's
2008The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11-5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
season ended early when, in an October 20 game against the
Denver BroncosThe 2008 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 49th season for the team . They improved from their 7-9 record from 2007 but failed to make the playoffs with an 8-8 record...
, Harrison tore his right quadriceps femoris muscle on a play, was carted off the field, and placed on injured reserve.
Retirement
On June 3, 2009, Harrison announced his retirement from football to become an analyst for
NBC SportsNBC Sports is the sports division of NBC. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games , the NFL, the NHL, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, the USGA Championships, Wimbledon, and the French Open, among...
'
Football Night in AmericaFootball Night in America is the studio show preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season.-Show title similarities:...
. Patriots head coach
Bill BelichickWilliam Stephen Belichick is the American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
soon after called Harrison one of the best players he had ever coached.
Controversy
Harrison was voted the "dirtiest player" in the NFL by his peers according to a 2004 poll conducted by
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the United States. It was the first magazine with circulation over one...
. In 2006, Harrison once again topped the "dirtiest player" voting by 361 other NFL players. In 2008, NFL coaches awarded the title to Harrison in an anonymous poll conducted by ESPN. Harrison has also been fined and suspended multiple times, and as of 2002, had racked up over $200,000 in fines by the NFL. A notable suspension occurred in 2002 after a helmet-to-helmet hit on the
Oakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team in the NFL based in the city of Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
'
Jerry RiceJerry Lee Rice is an American former football player. He is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver ever and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
.
Accomplishments and records
- In 1997, became first player in NFL history to score touchdowns on an interception return, fumble return and kickoff return in same season.
- Has the most sacks (30.5) of any defensive back in NFL history.
- Had four interceptions in three games in the 2004-05 playoffs.
- His seven playoff interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown) are a Patriots team record.
- Is one of nine players in the history of the NFL to record at least 20 interceptions and 20 sacks in his career. The other members of this small club are linebackers Seth Joyner
Seth Joyner is a former American football linebacker.-Professional career:Joyner was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the eighth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. He was actually cut in training camp, but the Eagles re-signed him later in the season...
, Wilber MarshallWilber Buddyhia Marshall is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins, the Houston Oilers, the Arizona Cardinals, and the New York Jets...
, William Thomas, Donnie EdwardsDonnie Edwards, Jr. is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
and Ray Lewis, safeties LeRoy ButlerLeRoy Butler, III is a former American football strong safety who played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers . He spent his childhood in Jacksonville, Florida, challenged by physical problems that forced him to wear leg braces and use a wheelchair at times while undergoing therapy...
and Brian DawkinsBrian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
, and cornerback Ronde BarberJamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
.
- On October 21, 2007, became the initial member of the 30/30 Club of players with both 30 interceptions and 30 sacks.
External links