James Harrison: From Akron Roots to NFL Legend

James Harrison Jr. (born May 4, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). His journey, marked by perseverance and explosive play, has cemented his place as one of the most feared defenders in NFL history. This article explores Harrison's life, from his upbringing in Akron, Ohio, to his rise as a two-time Super Bowl champion and NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Early Life and High School Career

Born in Akron, Ohio, Harrison was the youngest of 14 children to James Sr. and Mildred Harrison. Raised on the west side of Akron, Harrison emulated his parents, James Harrison Sr. and Mildred Harrison. He admired the sacrifices they made for their large, blended family and deemed them role models. He didn't feel a need to idolize professional athletes. His father had seven children and his mom had six before they had one kid together: James, the youngest of 14. He grew up a fan of the Cleveland Browns, who played only 40 miles from his house. Initially, his mother did not want him to play football but eventually relented after being convinced by Harrison and his best friend, David Walker.

Harrison attended Archbishop Hoban High School for his freshman year before transferring to Coventry High School. While at Coventry, in addition to football, he also participated in track & field, competing in events ranging from the shot put to the high jump. He had PR of 15.63 meters (51 ft 3in) in the shot put, 38.86 meters in the discus throw (127 ft 5 in) and 1.85 meters (6 ft 1 in) in the high jump. He was also a state-qualifier in the 4 × 100 m relay. Harrison along with Jonathan Holloman were two of the first African-Americans to play football at Coventry.

Despite his athletic talent, Harrison faced disciplinary issues that impacted his opportunities. Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Nebraska recruited Harrison as a running back. Michigan and Michigan State wanted him as a linebacker. They all backed away after Harrison was suspended for three games as a Coventry senior and encountered legal trouble. Harrison said attempting to fight one of his assistant coaches cost him two games. He was suspended for another game because of a wild sequence against Tuscarawas Valley. Harrison said an official penalized him for a hit on a quarterback, whereupon Tusky Valley's sideline taunted him by repeatedly yelling a racial slur. Harrison said he responded by grabbing his crotch and shouting a vulgar instruction toward the hecklers.

A legal issue stemmed from what Harrison referred to as "BB-Gate." A 1997 Coventry graduate, Harrison said the mother of a teammate wanted to press charges after she had been told Harrison shot her son in the locker room. Harrison said a Coventry assistant coach had actually struck the woman's son with a BB. “I had shot someone else. It was other people that got shot, too,” Harrison said. Harrison had a misdemeanor assault charge reduced to disorderly conduct and pleaded no contest in July 1997, according to Barberton Municipal Court records. The assistant coach in question pleaded no contest to negligent assault and obstruction of official business.

College Career at Kent State University

Despite the setbacks in high school, Harrison persevered and attended Kent State University, walking on to the Golden Flashes football team. After sitting out his freshman season in 1998 due to NCAA academic guidelines, Harrison became a starter for the last three games of the 1999 season and led the team with 106 total tackles and 13 tackles for a loss. During his last collegiate game against Miami University, Harrison finished with 12 tackles, 5 sacks, and a forced fumble. At the end of the fourth quarter, he sacked future teammate, Ben Roethlisberger on third and fourth down to seal a 24-20 victory.

Former longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau stood in the Pro Football Hall of Fame wearing his gold jacket and expressed a desire for Akron native James Harrison to join him in Canton. "I think he's very Hall of Fame worthy,” LeBeau told the Beacon Journal last month. It's important to understand LeBeau volunteered the opinion without being asked to assess Harrison's candidacy. It's also worth noting Harrison has said he doesn't consider himself deserving of the Hall of Fame because, from his perspective, the career statistics he produced don't scream bronze bust. The debate about the legendary outside linebacker won't die anytime soon. One of the most feared defenders in NFL history, Harrison is expected to be named a modern-era semifinalist for the Hall of Fame next week. He achieved the same status in 2022, his first year of eligibility. “It would be nice [to be inducted], but it's not something that I need or is going to make or break me,” Harrison said this past summer during a phone interview with the Beacon Journal. “Of course, it would be a tremendous honor to get it. But my biggest thing was the only person I needed to know that was proud of me was my dad. So I don't care what anybody else said. I made my dad proud, and that right there was enough for me.”

Despite Harrison's baggage, the Kent State football team still wanted him, but the combination of his grades and standardized test scores didn't meet academic requirements. He attended KSU for a year to gain eligibility and eventually joined the Golden Flashes as a walk-on. Harrison received a scholarship after competing in spring ball early in the head coaching tenure of Dean Pees, who later became a longtime NFL defensive coordinator. Although Pees considered Harrison KSU's most talented defender, he didn't play him right away. "It was about academics, but it was also about working hard,” Pees said by phone. "… You've got to put in your time. If we're going to run sprints, you've got to run them all. If I expect you to be at the weight room, you've got to be at the weight room. If you're going to be somewhere on time, you've got to be on time. It was all those things." A heart-to-heart between Harrison and Pees spurred a turnaround in the classroom and on the field.

Harrison developed a bond not only with Pees, but with his family as well. He would ride his motorcycle to the Pees household and eat dinner cooked by the coach's wife, Melody. He and one of the Pees grandchildren would set up G.I. Joe action figures on the floor and play with them. “You can't imagine James Harrison doing that, can you?” Pees said. In 2000, Harrison led KSU with 106 tackles, including three sacks. In 2001, he was voted first-team All-Mid-American Conference after registering 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Five of those sacks came in one game against Miami University and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who would go on to win Super Bowls with Harrison and the Steelers. After graduating, he returned in 2010 to be inducted into Kent State's Varsity "K" Hall of Fame along with San Diego Chargers tight end, Antonio Gates. Harrison also made a donation of $100k to his alma mater, who in turn named the field house in his honor.

NFL Career: From Undrafted Free Agent to Defensive Player of the Year

Early Years and Breakthrough with the Steelers

Harrison went undrafted in the 2002 NFL draft, as teams feared he was too short (six feet) to play linebacker, and too light (240 pounds) to play on the defensive line. Harrison spent two years on and off the practice squad for the Steelers, being released three times, and also was 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 on which he was struggling and even would ask the coaches not to play him when he was struggling.[10] 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.

Harrison signed a reserve/future contract with the Baltimore Ravens on January 15, 2004. He was allocated to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. After being cut for a fourth time, Harrison considered not playing anymore. Shortly thereafter, 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 remained with the Steelers through the 2012 season. 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 now that his football career has ended.

Throughout the 2004 season, Harrison mostly played on special teams and on defense at linebacker, with occasional reps at defensive end. His first career start came against his hometown team, the 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 started in three games of the 2005 season when starting linebacker Clark Haggans was injured. His biggest highlight of the year was in a game against the San Diego Chargers, where he intercepted a Drew Brees pass for a 25-yard return. Harrison gained some attention and popularity when he restrained a Cleveland Browns fan during a 41-0 Pittsburgh win on Christmas Eve. The intoxicated fan was on the field when Harrison lifted the man and slammed him on the ground. The Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XL that season.

Ascendancy to Stardom: 2007-2010

In the 2007 offseason, with longtime head coach Bill Cowher resigning after 15 seasons and Mike Tomlin taking over the reins, the Steelers controversially cut Joey Porter for salary cap reasons. Although the Steelers drafted two linebackers with their first two picks that year (Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley), Harrison was appointed the starter in place of Porter. On November 5, Harrison had a standout game on Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. He piled up 9 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. The most memorable moment of the game, however, was Harrison's tackle of Baltimore safety Ed Reed. After a Steelers punt by Daniel Sepulveda, Reed had recovered the kick and was looking to return it. As Reed ran up the sidelines, he was blindsided by Harrison and the ball was knocked away from Reed's grasp. Pittsburgh linebacker Lawrence Timmons immediately recovered the fumble. On November 26, during a Monday Night Football game, an announcer gave Harrison the nickname, "Mr. Monday Night", because of his outstanding performance on November 5. He piled up 8.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 3 recovered fumbles, and 98 tackles on the year. Along with LaMarr Woodley, who by this point was a starter in his own right, after the team chose not to re-sign Clark Haggans the previous offseason, Harrison and Woodley had become arguably the team's best pass-rushing duo since Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene in 1994.

The 2007 was quite impressive an impressive season for James individually. He was selected by his teammates as their Defensive MVP. He was also elected by his peers to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl game in Honolulu, Hawaii, which as of 2010, he has been to three of. James was also an Associated Press 1st Team All-Pro selection following the 2007 season. In 2008 Harrison recorded 10 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble during a Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens. Harrison amassed 16 sacks, breaking the team record set by Mike Merriweather in 1984. Harrison also played special teams on a regular basis, making him one of the few regular NFL starters to also play special teams. His most notable special teams play for 2008, however, arguably cost the Steelers their game against the New York Giants in Week 8. With the Steelers leading 14-12 in the fourth quarter and having to punt from their own end zone, Harrison played as long snapper after regular long snapper Greg Warren suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier in the game.

In 2009 Harrison was named the AP NFL National Defensive Player of the year. He became the first undrafted player to win this award. During Super Bowl XLIII, Harrison made his most famous play when he intercepted a pass from Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner at the goal line and ran back the length of the field for a 100-yard touchdown at the end of the first half. In a memorable scene, Harrison collapsed in the endzone and spent several minutes regaining his breath as his teammates celebrated. On February 7, 2009, Harrison was parodied on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update by cast member Kenan Thompson. In four games in October Harrison had 7.0 sacks, 25 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He earned AFC defensive player of the month honors for October. Harrison ended the Season with 79 tackles, 60 of them being solo, and 10 sacks. This outstanding performance made him a starter in the Pro Bowl that year.

Read also: Explore JCU's History and Programs

Harrison's 2010 season was marred by committing several penalties and fouls. He was fined for the hits that were deemed to be illegal by referees and the NFL. In Week 2, Harrison was fined for flipping Vince Young of the Titans. On October 17, he knocked out two Browns wide receivers; Mohammed Massaquoi, and his former college teammate, Josh Cribbs. On Halloween against the Saints, he hit quarterback Drew Brees late from behind. Against the Raiders, he hit another QB, Jason Campbell. The following week at Buffalo, another incident occurred when Ryan Fitzpatrick had thrown a complete pass to David Nelson, Harrison came out of the line and speared Fitzpatrick. Harrison would help the Steelers reach the Super Bowl for the third time in six years.

Later Career and Retirement

Harrison signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on April 23, 2013. After the 2013 season, he stated that he would be retiring from the NFL, but he came out of retirement to return to the Steelers. On March 1, 2017, Harrison signed a two-year contract extension with the Steelers. Through the first 12 games of the 2017 season, Harrison played only 29 snaps, with 15 of those coming in Week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Following injuries to Ryan Shazier and Tyler Matakevich and the subsequent move of Arthur Moats from the outside to the inside linebacker position, Harrison played 11 snaps in Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens. He spent part of his final NFL season with the New England Patriots.

Playing Style and Legacy

Harrison's physical style of play and relentless pursuit of the ball carrier made him a force to be reckoned with. He was known for his exceptional strength and explosiveness, which allowed him to overpower offensive linemen and deliver punishing hits. His low center of gravity gave him leverage against bigger opponents. He was also known for his intense competitive fire and determination.

When NFL Films gave Harrison documentary treatment with “A Football Life” episode in 2021, Harrison insisted he's 6-foot tall, though former Steelers teammates disputed it. Either way, he took advantage of the perfect frame for bull rushing offensive linemen. The Steelers listed his playing weight as 242 pounds. “He was built low to the ground, so he could get under these guys, and they had to anchor so hard or he was just going to dump them straight back,” LeBeau said. “He was so strong, and then he had athleticism. That was a combination that people just couldn't block him without a chip or two guys. One on one was kind of an unfair fight. Those were the exterior abilities, but he had an interior fire, a competitive fire, and he was going to get the job done. And, let's face it, football's a pretty good game for a guy like James Harrison. He's a good contact guy.” The Browns can attest to Harrison's ferocity. Former Browns players Josh Cribbs, Mohamed Massaquoi and Colt McCoy each suffered a concussion because of a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit from Harrison. The NFL docked Harrison about $225,000 throughout his career, and he had made it well known he viewed Commissioner Roger Goodell as an enemy. His blow to Massaquoi in 2010 resulted in a $75,000 fine, which was later reduced to $50,000. Blasting McCoy in 2011 turned into a one-game suspension. On Christmas Eve in 2005, Harrison body-slammed a Browns fan who ran onto the field in Cleveland. “He's a powerful, powerful man,” Pees said, “and he's got a mean streak.” Of Harrison's 84½ regular-season sacks, 80½ were with the Steelers. He had two apiece with the Cincinnati Bengals and Patriots. In 22 playoff games, he racked up 11 sacks.

Harrison ranks third on the Steelers' all-time sack leaders list, with 80.5. In Week 2 this season against the Browns, Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt surpassed Harrison for the all-time franchise sack record. Harrison had moved into the top spot on the team's career sack list in 2016 against - you guessed it - the Browns. Harrison held the Steelers all-time sack leader with 80.5 sacks, until Watt broke that record against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the season with 81.5 career sacks at that point. "It's great," said Harrison that night. "That is the whole reason I came, so I could be here in person to see it. "It's simple. "It's the Deebo way," said Watt, referencing Harrison by his nickname. "I didn't even know he was there. "It really is special. I am so thankful that Deebo is so accepting and happy for me. He helped me when he was here, and he didn't have to. But he really took me under his wing and was able to help me grow and develop as a player as a rookie."

His long road to relevancy as an NFL player certainly limited his career totals.

Career Statistics and Accomplishments

Two-time Super Bowl champion (XL, XLIII)
NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2008)
Five-time Pro Bowl selection
Two-time First-Team All-Pro selection
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Sack Leader (until surpassed by T.J. Watt)
Steelers Hall of Honor Inductee

Post-Playing Career

In retirement, Harrison has real-estate holdings, a sports performance supplement company called Optimum EFX and acting aspirations. Harrison plays Apocalypse on Heels. Harrison also appeared on S.W.A.T. Harrison played Apocalypse on the first season of the Starz pro wrestling drama “Heels,” noting he did all his own stunts, but he said he didn't appear in the second season because he declined to abide by a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. His goal is to ultimately star in action movies. Harrison explained he used to be nervous about doing media interviews, and acting became a different avenue for him to conquer a fear. “Acting was just another challenge for me,” he said.

Harrison has two sons, James III, born in 2007, and Henry, born in 2009. Harrison made the news in August 2015 for refusing to let either of his sons keep student-athlete awards that were deemed participation trophies they had received from a sports program. In an Instagram post, Harrison wrote: "While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy […]".

Controversies

Harrison's career was not without controversy. He was fined numerous times for illegal hits and was known for his outspoken criticism of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Harrison elected not to visit the White House with the rest of the team after the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII. Skipping the visit gained some media attention, as Harrison said that Barack Obama (who supported the Steelers in the game and considers his second favorite NFL team after his hometown team, Chicago Bears) would have invited the Arizona Cardinals had they won: "This is how I feel - if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won." Harrison had also skipped the team's visit after winning Super Bowl XL when George W. The arrest gained some controversy after the team released wide receiver Cedrick Wilson in a similar, but unrelated, incident around the same time but did not release Harrison. On May 23, 2009, Harrison's son, James III, sustained an injury to his thigh when the family's pit bull became agitated and bit him. The boy's mother, Beth Tibbott, who had let the dog out of his cage, was also bitten when she tried to intervene. The dog also bit the player's massage therapist, who needed three stitches. On July 13, 2011, a controversial magazine article titled "James Harrison: Confessions of an NFL Hitman" was published by Paul Solotaroff in Men's Journal. In the article, Harrison was asked multiple questions about who he is and why he plays the game of football the way he does. The controversy comes into play when Harrison begins talking about the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Harrison called Goodell a "crook and a puppet", and then proceeded to say that, "I hate him and will never respect him." Harrison also made comments towards his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and other players in the National Football League such as Brian Cushing.

tags: #James #Harrison #College #history