Fans love draft night. Veterans tend to loathe them—a primetime look at the prospects trying to take the job of every established player in the league. James Harrison took a different approach, rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft a highly-touted pass rusher. He explained why in his most recent podcast with former teammate Joe Haden.
“I was All-Pro and all that, each year I came in,” Harrison said on the Deebo & Joe podcast. “I’m hoping and praying that they draft an outside linebacker. Because I’m already in my head like, ‘Are you drafting this dude to replace me? Huh, ok. I got something for you.’ Each year I came in, I’m fighting to make this team. ‘Yeah, I got a contract that’s guaranteed.’ But I’m not even thinking about that. I’m trying to make this team.”
Harrison played with the ultimate chip on his shoulder. His mentality isn’t a shock. Harrison, an undrafted free agent out of Kent State, faced long NFL odds. Pittsburgh cut him multiple times, and Harrison spent time cutting his teeth in NFL Europe before finally sticking on Sundays. Any rookie was a potential threat to his job and made Harrison work harder. Workouts that became legendary.
From 2007-2012, Harrison’s prime, the Steelers drafted two pedigree pass rushers. LaMarr Woodley in 2007 and Jason Worilds in 2010. Woodley was drafted before Harrison’s breakout, and the two became fearsome pass rushers, bringing the Steelers their sixth Super Bowl. In it, Harrison ran back a 100-yard pick-six while Woodley forced the game-sealing fumble. Worilds began finding his stride before retiring early to become a Jehovah’s Witness.
In 2013, the Steelers landed Georgia’s Jarvis Jones in the first round. He became one of the franchise’s biggest busts of the last 30 years.
It took until his age-29 season for Harrison to crack the Steelers’ starting lineup full-time. He took the chance by storm, a Pro Bowler his first year, and never looked back. But he entered each camp with the same mentality as the unknown for a MAC school, needing to earn his spot.
“Each year I’m re-learning the defense,” he said. I’m doing my flashcards and all that. Everybody’s like, ‘bro, you’ve been here for six years, what are you doing?’ I’m learning the defense, dude. I’m learning what I need to do.”
Harrison added that revisiting his job and the foundation of the defense helped him better understand everyone else’s role, too. Knowing the entire picture made him a smarter and more effective player. Harrison ended his career as the Steelers’ all-time sack leader, though that mark has since been broken by T.J. Watt.
Players find motivations in all ways. Big and small. Every time April’s draft featured an outside linebacker on the Steelers’ draft card, Harrison found a little more fuel.
