Spending 16 years in the NFL, former OT Andrew Whitworth has played against a bunch of people. He’s faced some elite talent. And some dudes offenses wanted to stay far away from. James Harrison was one of those guys. Though he didn’t grab the top spot on Whitworth’s list.
Talking with ESPN’s Kevin Clark for his This is Football podcast, Whitworth named Harrison and Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs as two of the baddest dudes he ever faced.
“If you would’ve asked me this in 2016, it would’ve been James Harrison, no question,” Whitworth told Clark. “Him and Terrell Suggs, neck and neck. You talk about eras changing of offensive linemen. The eras have changed and generations have changed with those guys too. Those guys eliminated a side of the field. They were great pass rushers, they were physical phenoms. Big, strong, powerful dudes who were literally the faces of their defense…you just don’t see many guys like that anymore who just dominate the game.”
Whitworth spent 11 years in Cincinnati, 2006-16, seeing Harrison and Suggs twice a season. Whitworth came into the league just as Harrison was catching his break. It took until 2007 and his age-29 season to consistently crack the starting lineup, but Harrison never looked back. In his first year as a full-time starter, he picked up 8.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl bid.
His breakout game came against the Ravens on Monday night, a 38-7 Steelers blowout. Harrison posted one of the most incredible stat lines you’ll ever see, finishing with 10 tackles, six QB hits, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception. To date, he’s the only player in official NFL history to have that type of stat line, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a pick all in the same game.
In 2008, he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year after a 16-sack campaign that also saw him force a league-high seven fumbles. Feared by the league, Harrison could play the run, dip under a tackle, and drop into coverage. In Baltimore, Suggs was cut from a similar cloth and was a face of the Pittsburgh/Baltimore rivalry at its peak, having great battles with QB Ben Roethlisberger.
But for Whitworth, Harrison was bumped out of the top spot by Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald. Whitworth signed with the Rams before the 2017 season and got a close look at how Donald approached the game. He praised him for his incredible work ethic, never relenting or taking a day off.
“I’ve never seen anybody that is as strong, as powerful, as athletic, as talented, as gifted but works harder than anybody on the planet,” Whitworth said. “I think he’s the greatest defensive lineman ever.”
Donald will go down in history as one of the best to ever play his position. He’s past the peak of his production — he won’t touch 20 sacks the way he did in 2018 — but he’s an absolute force and headache for opposing offenses.
A surefire Hall of Famer, the question becomes if Harrison and Suggs could join him. For the second-straight year, Harrison is a semifinalist for the Hall but fell short of the final cut in his first year of eligibility in 2022. Suggs won’t be eligible for the ballot until 2025 and could compete directly with Harrison for a gold jacket.
Catch Whitworth’s full answer below.
