James Harrison
James Harrison, Jr. (born May 4, 1978) is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Kent State.
Harrison wore number 93 during this period before adopting his current number 92, which at the time was worn by fellow linebacker and Pro BowlerJason Gildon.He was signed by Baltimore in late 2003, then sent to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, but eventually cut by the Ravens. After being cut for a fourth time, Harrison considered not playing anymore. Shortly after, he was signed a fourth time by the Steelers during training camp in 2004 after Clark Haggans sustained an injury in an offseason weightlifting accident. Showing much improvement, Harrison made the final roster and has remained with the Steelers since. Harrison later told the Beaver County Times that if not for Haggans's injury, he planned to retire from football at age 26 to focus on becoming a veterinarian, something that Harrison still plans on doing after his football career ends. Harrison also considered following in his father's footsteps and become a truck driver, and to this day does have a commercial driver's license.
James Harrison, Jr. (born May 4, 1978) is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Kent State.As a four-time Pro Bowl selection, Harrison has earned Super Bowl rings with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII. He also spent a short time with the Baltimore Ravens in the 2004 offseason.
Born in Akron, Ohio, Harrison was the youngest of 14 children to James Sr. (a chemical truck driver) and Mildred. He played little league baseball in Scranton, PA for Sloan little league's Green Team. He was selected to the All-Star team in 1991. He grew up in Akron, and his favorite NFL team was the Cleveland Browns, who played only 40 miles from his house. His mother did not want him to play at first. It took both Harrison and his best friend from childhood, David Walker, to convince her. When he started to play, he excelled at both linebacker and running back. He attended two high schools in his freshman year, Archbishop Hoban High School and then Coventry High School. He was one of the first African-Americans to play football at Coventry. He graduated in 1998.
His high school football ability was great, but his lack of maturity at times was a struggle. Harrison did not pay attention to his grades or college entrance tests, and by his senior year he had become disruptive to his football team. Early in his senior year, Coventry staff had to suspend him for two games for challenging an assistant coach to a fight. After he returned from his suspension, in his next game, he began the game by carrying 3 times for nearly 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. After his second TD, he ran down the opposing team's sideline, and was ejected and later suspended for one game for making obscene gestures to the fans. Harrison was in court soon thereafter, after he shot a BB gun in the school locker room towards a defensive coach. He pled guilty to a minor charge and was able to return to school to finish his senior year. Due to his off-the-field issues, powerhouse football programs like Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Nebraska lost interest in him.
Harrison played for Kent State University in Ohio where he wore uniform #16. Harrison went undrafted in the 2002 NFL draft, fearing he was too short (six feet) to play linebacker, and too light (240 pounds) to play on the defensive line. A few teams did send him training camp invites.The Steelers signed Harrison as an undrafted rookie in 2002, making him the first Kent State alumnus to play at linebacker for the team since Hall of Famer Jack Lambert.
Harrison spent two years on and off the practice squad for the Steelers, being released three times, and was also briefly on the active roster towards the end of the 2002 season, playing only special teams. Teammate and fellow linebacker James Farrior later told NFL Network that Harrison was so green early on in his career that he would simply “give up” on plays he was struggling on and would even ask the coaches not to play him when he was struggling. Farrior said, "He was a knucklehead that didn't know the plays. We'd be in practice, in training camp, and he might not know what he was doing so he'd just stop and throw his hands up and tell (the coaches) to get him out of there. We thought the guy was crazy.
Harrison wore number 93 during this period before adopting his current number 92, which at the time was worn by fellow linebacker and Pro BowlerJason Gildon.He was signed by Baltimore in late 2003, then sent to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, but eventually cut by the Ravens. After being cut for a fourth time, Harrison considered not playing anymore. Shortly after, he was signed a fourth time by the Steelers during training camp in 2004 after Clark Haggans sustained an injury in an offseason weightlifting accident. Showing much improvement, Harrison made the final roster and has remained with the Steelers since. Harrison later told the Beaver County Times that if not for Haggans's injury, he planned to retire from football at age 26 to focus on becoming a veterinarian, something that Harrison still plans on doing after his football career ends. Harrison also considered following in his father's footsteps and become a truck driver, and to this day does have a commercial driver's license.Throughout the 2004 season, Harrison mostly played on special teams and at linebacker with occasional reps at defensive end. His first career start came against his hometown Cleveland Browns in Cleveland on November 14 after teammate Joey Porter and Browns running back William Green were ejected for fighting during the pregame warm-ups. Harrison had a good game statistically in the Steelers' 24–10 victory against their hated rival.
Harrison scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery in the final week of the season against the Buffalo Bills.
- o 2× Super Bowl champion (XL, XLIII)
- o 4× Pro Bowl selection (2007, 2008, 2009,2010)
- o 4× All-Pro selection (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- o 2008 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year
- o 2008 Tuesday Morning Quarterback Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP Award Winner
- o 2008 GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Year Winner
- o 2× AFC Defensive Player of the Month (November 2007, October 2009)
- o Longest play in Super Bowl history - 100 yard interception return for a touchdown
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