James Harrison’s Remarkable Rise to Stardom

Another key pivot in Steelers history rated as a mere footnote when it happened—and even that might be generous.

An injury that outside linebacker Clark Haggans sustained while lifting weights during the off-season carried over to training camp. Needing a body at outside linebacker, the Steelers signed James Harrison, who had already been cut three times by the organization.

Harrison, who had also been cut by the Ravens before a fourth stint with the Steelers, has said that he would have pursued another career had he not stuck with the team that year.

Not that Bill Cowher had any interest in hanging on to Harrison.

Harrison, who initially signed with the organization in 2002 as an undrafted free agent, struggled with the complexity of NFL defenses and sometimes let his frustration over not getting more of a look get the better of him. That could be misconstrued and lead to questions about whether he could be coached by those who were trying to mold Harrison into an NFL player.

“He was hard-headed but that’s to be expected from young guys coming in,” said former Steelers outside linebacker Jason Gildon, who played for the team from 1994 to 2003. “I think James’ problem early on was establishing that rapport with the coaches. You almost ask yourself, ‘Well, why [learn] if I’m not going to play?’ It was a maturity thing and I think as time went on he realized that’s part of being a professional.”

Harrison’s return to the Steelers in 2004 would have been short-lived had Dick LeBeau not returned to the organization as well that season.

LeBeau came back as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator—he held the same position in 1995–96—after three seasons as the Bengals’ head coach and then a season as an assistant head coach to good friend Dick Jauron in Buffalo.

LeBeau saw something in Harrison even though the latter struggled with a new defense. When Cowher wanted to release Harrison after Haggans got healthy LeBeau talked him out of it.

He told Cowher he would take responsibility for teaching Harrison the defense and that the Steelers would regret it if they let him get away.

Harrison made enough progress to stick with the team. He developed into a valuable special-teams player while biding his time as a reserve outside linebacker over the next couple of seasons.

The Steelers released Joey Porter in 2007 in large part because they had seen enough from Harrison to believe he was ready to start and give them a much less expensive option at right outside linebacker.

Harrison staged his coming-out party that season in a nationally televised win over the Ravens. Harrison recorded three and a half sacks, forced three fumbles and intercepted a pass in the Steelers’ 38–7 romp, and that performance helped propel him to the first of five consecutive Pro Bowls.

Harrison has since won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, retired at Steelers’ headquarters, and then saved the Steelers in what has been a splendid second act after injuries depleted them at outside linebackers in 2014.

Harrison’s 75 sacks with the Steelers were the second most in franchise history at the end of the 2015 season, his second one since coming out of retirement. He returned for presumably his final NFL season in 2016 at the age of 38, and in addition to giving the Steelers a solid pass rusher Harrison has become a mentor in the locker room.

A prickly persona early in his career would have made that seem unlikely for the player his teammates had nicknamed “Deebo,” after the bully in the movie Friday.

But Harrison has an unbelievable work ethic and, as he has shown with his career, anything is possible when it to comes to him.

Harrison has never forgotten what LeBeau did for him and the two are extremely close. When LeBeau got inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Harrison flew into Pittsburgh to surprise him. When the Steelers did not renew LeBeau’s contract in 2015, Harrison told his former mentor he would join him in Tennessee if he said the word.

LeBeau, who took a job as assistant head coach with the Titans, told Harrison to do what was best for his family, so Harrison stayed in Pittsburgh, where he will finish his career.

That Harrison would have switched teams less than two months shy of his 37th birthday shows how loyal he is to LeBeau, and for good reason. Who knows what would have happened with Harrison had LeBeau not talked Cowher out of cutting him in 2004?

The Steelers history would be a little different—and they certainly wouldn’t be able to lay claim to the play LeBeau has called the greatest in Super Bowl history.