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Rodney Harrison retires


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Safety Harrison announces his retirement, will join NBC as analyst

 

Associated Press

 

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Rodney Harrison is done hitting quarterbacks.

 

The two-time Pro Bowl safety announced his retirement Wednesday after a 15-year career for the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers. This fall, he and former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy will join NBC's Football Night in America as analysts, the network announced.

 

"I'm done," Harrison said in a conference call with reporters. "And I'm very much at peace with that. Football has been good to me; I worked hard and I played hard."

 

Harrison, 36, holds the NFL record for defensive backs with 30.5 sacks. He also has 34 interceptions, making him the only player to have at least 30 of each.

 

Harrison won two Super Bowls with the Patriots, but he missed the final 10 games last season after tearing a muscle in his right thigh. Injuries, along with a four-game suspension in 2007 for using a banned substance, limited Harrison to 31 games over the last four seasons.

 

One of the hardest hitters -- some say dirtiest -- in NFL history, Harrison was fined by the league, by his account, almost $300,000 throughout his career, including one that cost him a game check of $111,764 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Jerry Rice in 2002.

 

"People have called me a dirty player. I'm a very passionate player," Harrison said. "I also understand that this is not volleyball. This is a very violent, physical game, and if you hit someone in the mouth, they're not going to be your friend. That's what the game of football is."

 

Harrison earned his reputation honestly -- in three separate polls, opponents voted him the dirtiest player in the league. But his teammates loved him.

 

"He's out on the field, going full-speed all the time," Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. "If your top guys are doing that, it trickles down to the rest of the team."

 

Although he was unapologetic about his multiple fines, Harrison did call the drug suspension "a huge mistake." He admitted obtaining human growth hormone and has said it was to speed his recovery from an injury.

 

"I had so much pride about trying to do things right," he said. "I made such a huge mistake in that situation and disappointed so many people, including myself. When I made that mistake, I wanted other guys and kids to learn from that."

 

Such honesty also served Harrison well as a TV analyst. After going on injured reserve last October, he worked for the NFL Network and on NBC's Super Bowl coverage.

 

Harrison started out his conference call Wednesday by joking that he had signed a two-year deal with the Patriots with the promise that he didn't have to report until September.

 

After a pause, he 'fessed up, and he later added that there was no chance of a Brett Favre-like reversal.

 

"I respect people in the National Football League too much not to put them on this joyride," he said. "I don't want guys on my team or guys I played with to have to answer questions about Rodney Harrison's return. When I made my decision to retire, I made my decision to retire. ... I'm done."

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glad to see injuries ruin your career Rodney, you dirty, cheating, piece of crap.

 

Rodney Harrsion played football the way it was meant to be played, not the current "don't hit the QB too hard" sissy ball.

 

You can go see his bust in Canton before long if you like

Edited by spider321
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Rodney Harrsion played football the way it was meant to be played, not the current "don't hit the QB too hard" sissy ball.

 

You can go ses his bust in Canton before long if you like

no, you won't actually. Rodney is a cheap shot artist. A steroid user. Injury prone (he only played 16 games 6 times in his 15 years). And he wasn't real popular with players, coaches, or fans judging by the fact he only had 2 Pro Bowl appearances. HOF? I don't think so.

Edited by CaptainHook
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Harrison's shots weren't any cheaper than Dick "Night Train" Lane's or Ronnie Lott's.

 

The sissified game and the sissified fans just don't like to see violence on the football field anymore.

 

Would you like to go ahead and put flags on the QB's and WR's belts?

Edited by spider321
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Harrison's shots weren't any cheaper than Dick "Night Train" Lane's or Ronnie Lott's.

 

The sissified game and the sissified fans just don't like to see violence on the football field anymore.

 

Would you like to go ahead and put flags on the QB's and WR's belts?

+1

 

Sad to see one of the last "old school" players go.

 

Players and Fans of his teams loved him, opponents hated and feared him, hence pro bowl issues. He was an enforcer. Not as good as Ronnie Lott, but close. I think he was the only, if not one of the few safeties to have #) int and 30 sacks in a career. He had to be accounted for at all times, and that is not easy to do as a safety. His injuries came from the passion and physicality he played with, NOT because he was a a tasty morsel on the field.

 

He is fun, engaging and a contributor to any community he lives in. He nutted up and made an announcement about his HGH use and apologized for his actions and the impact that might have as a role model for kids. He knew his place on and off the field and proved his weakness.

 

I have less trouble with guys that are using Testosterone and HGH, both naturally occurring hormones PRODUCED by the body to get healthy than the scum using illegal street drugs or the synthetics. But, hey, that's me. Tell me when you guys hit your mid-40s you won't consider a little T lift.

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I hate Rodney Harrison.

 

I think the majority of football fans agree.

 

NBC does it again. :wacko:

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Count me in as one of those who appreciates the play of throw backs like Lynch and Harrison. Football is a violent game and it should be played by violent men. If Harrison were an over-the-top cheap shot artist the likes of which some claim, how is it that over his entire career he was suspended only one game for his play (and that was for a helmet to helmet hit on icon Jerry Rice)?

 

I'm certain of one thing - if God given me the ability to play the game at the pro level and I had made it as starter in the league, I'd stoop to just about anything short of carrying a pipe wrench onto the field to stay there. You send guys over the middle in front of me to catch passes - you're damn right I'm going to clear them out and see if they have to guts to catch a pass in the tiger's cage again.

Edited by Bronco Billy
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Rodney Harrsion played football the way it was meant to be played, not the current "don't hit the QB too hard" sissy ball.

 

You can go see his bust in Canton before long if you like

 

I think he retired because he saw that the NFL introduced more sissy ball rules.

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glad to see injuries ruin your career Rodney, you dirty, cheating, piece of crap.

 

Wow, you are not a very astute football fan. He was a real football player, practiced hard and played hard.

 

I'd rather have a hard hitting, powerful and passionate player, than a whiny, finger pointing choke artist.

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I, for one, do not begrudge those who play a game that will remain dangerous and violent regardless of what rules are enacted, for taking measures to mitigate the degree to which they cripple each other at work. Pretty much all of us are protected by safety standards in our jobs and yet some of us act pissed when violence created for our amusement is somehow tamed.

 

These guys may be modern day gladiators but back then, the stands were filled with people who were not afforded the same protections we take for granted each day. Seems sort of hypocritical to call the modern day NFL "sissified".

Edited by detlef
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Harrison was just on the Rome show and said (paraphrasing) "Don't get me wrong I have alot of respect for Peyton Manning but you wouldn't see Tom Brady criticizing the coaching staff like that." He went on to just blast a few others - sounds like he really trying stir things up since he can't on the field anymore.

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Lord, I can't believe some of the people I'm agreeing with here, but like Hines Ward, I don't think Harrison is dirty. Meh on the HGH, but he did do some headhunting. Isn't that why we applaud guys that go over the middle and make the catch? They know they're gonna pay, and it's guys like Lott, Lynch, Harrison, Woodson that make them pay. Watching the guy, I didn't see too many cheap shots. Nor did the guy go for the knees - he was coming high and hard to make you think twice about catching that ball next time. I'll admit I might be missing something, but show me. :wacko:

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You send guys over the middle in front of me to catch passes - you're damn right I'm going to clear them out and see if they have to guts to catch a pass in the pony's stall again.

:wacko:

 

Harrison was a biatch--of course without his cheap-shot antics, nobody would have ever heard about Kurt Warner.

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are you f'ing kidding me? Trent Green begs to differ.

 

Typically, I remember him going high. Yes, he got Trent Green, but I wouldn't say that made him dirty any more than I'd say it made the KC player dirty for Brady's injury. One Robin doesn't make a spring, or something like that...

 

ETA: if he doesn't take out Green's knee then you probably don't get that SB in St. Loogie, so, uhh... What was the question?

Edited by westvirginia
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