James Harrison

James Henry Harrison Jr. was born on May 4, 1978, and went on to become a feared NFL linebacker despite going undrafted. He played college ball at Kent State before the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him as a free agent in 2002. Over his career, Harrison earned five Pro Bowl nods and helped the Steelers win Super Bowls XL and XLIII. In 2008, he made history as the first undrafted player ever to win the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. His playing style was defined by bone-crushing hits.

Harrison also suited up for NFL Europe’s Rhein Fire and had short stops with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. He announced his retirement after the 2013 season, but changed his mind just weeks later and returned to Pittsburgh. He finished his final NFL season with the New England Patriots. With 80.5 sacks, he sits third on the Steelers’ all-time sack list. Today, he works as a football analyst on FOX Sports 1.

Growing up in Akron, Ohio, Harrison was the youngest of 14 kids. His father, James Sr., drove a chemical truck, and his mother was Mildred. As a kid, he played Little League baseball in Scranton, Pennsylvania, for Sloan Little League’s Green Team and made the All-Star squad in 1991. His favorite NFL team was the Cleveland Browns, whose stadium was just 40 miles from his home. His mother initially didn’t want him playing football, but he and his childhood best friend, David Walker, convinced her. Once he started, Harrison excelled at both linebacker and running back.

He attended two high schools as a freshman: Archbishop Hoban High School and then Coventry High School. Besides football, he competed in track and field, with personal bests of 15.63 meters in the shot put, 38.86 meters in the discus, and 1.85 meters in the high jump. He also qualified for the state meet in the 4 × 100 meter relay. Along with Jonathan Holloman, Harrison was one of the first African-American football players at Coventry. He graduated in 1998.

Despite his talent, Harrison struggled with maturity. He neglected his grades and college entrance exams, and by his senior year, he became disruptive. Early that year, Coventry suspended him for two games after he challenged an assistant coach to a fight. After returning, he rushed for nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns in his next game, but was ejected and suspended again for making obscene gestures to fans. Soon after, he shot a BB gun in the school locker room at a defensive coach. He pleaded guilty to a minor charge and finished his senior year. Because of these issues, powerhouse programs like Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Nebraska pulled their scholarship offers.

Harrison walked on at Kent State. He sat out his freshman season in 1998 due to NCAA academic rules, then became a starter for the last three games of 1999, leading the team with 106 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss, plus an interception and three fumble recoveries. In his final college game against Miami University, he recorded 12 tackles, five sacks, and a forced fumble, sacking future teammate Ben Roethlisberger on third and fourth down to seal a 24–20 win. In 2001, he had 98 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and led the MAC with 15 sacks, earning first-team All-MAC honors. He was inducted into Kent State’s Varsity “K” Hall of Fame in 2010 and donated $100,000 to the school, which named a field house after him. In 2013, Kent State retired his No. 16 jersey.

NFL teams passed on Harrison in the 2002 draft, worried he was too short (six feet) for linebacker and too light (240 pounds) for the defensive line. The Steelers signed him as an undrafted rookie, making him the first Kent State linebacker to play for Pittsburgh since Hall of Famer Jack Lambert. He bounced on and off the practice squad for two years, was released three times, and briefly made the active roster in 2002, playing only special teams. Teammate James Farrior later said Harrison was so raw that he’d give up on plays and ask coaches to pull him out. “We thought the guy was crazy,” Farrior recalled. Harrison wore No. 93 early on before switching to the more famous No. 92, which had belonged to Pro Bowler Jason Gildon.

On January 15, 2004, Harrison signed a reserve/future contract with the Baltimore Ravens and was sent to NFL Europe’s Rhein Fire. He started five games for the Fire during the 2004 season.