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(AP Photo)
I have to admit, I'm sad to see Rodney Harrison go. Thinking back, aside from Tom Brady, I'm not sure there's a New England Patriot who has provided me with more joy and entertainment.
Without further adieu, here are my five favorite Rodney Harrison moments:
5) “You’re 320, I'm 220, how you feel?”
Rodney Harrison was officially introduced to the New England Patriots during the offseason before the 2003 season, but he showed them exactly what he was made of in his first playoff game with the Patriots.
In what was one of the colder games played in New England, the Patriots and Titans locked into what was a fantastic and physical struggle. At some point during the game, the Titans ran a sweep. Harrison came flying in like a nut and absolutely flattened the guard, knocking him into the running back and blowing up the play.
After the hit, he let the guard know it was a little defensive back that just laid his sorry butt out. It was a tremendous moment. If anyone has the video (or the name of the guard he laid out), please link to it in the comments section or email it to me.
4) “And that’s why Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning!”
In January of 2004, the Colts seemed unstoppable. Their offense not only destroyed everything in its path, but they rarely turned the ball over and never seemed to have to punt. Ever.
In cold, snowy Foxborough, the Patriots drove down the field and scored a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead against the favored Indianapolis Colts. Peyton Manning was intent on responding, driving his team right back down the field.
On third down from inside the ten yard line, he thought he saw someone open in the end zone. He released the ball, and watched in horror as Rodney Harrison jumped up and landed with the ball in his hands.
He later absolutely destroyed Marvin Harrison, knocking the ball loose and causing a turnover.
The game was never in doubt after that play.
3) “I guess they’ll have to unpack those bags!”
The Patriots jumped out to a 17-3 lead in the AFC championship game against the Steelers in January of 2005. The Steelers tried desperately to get back into the game in the second quarter. Late in the quarter, that drove into Patriots’ territory.
Roethlisberger tried to make a play, and Harrison read him perfectly. He intercepted Big Ben, returning the pick for an 87 yard touchdown. The Patriots took a 24-3 lead and never looked back.
The Steelers had spent the entire week leading up to the AFC Championship game talking. They had their bags packed. They were sure they were heading to the Super Bowl.
It’s impossible to describe how sweet this interception felt. It was one of the highlights of my sports life, never mind Rodney Harrison’s stellar career…
2) “I had more catches than Freddie Mitchell!”
The Patriots were looking for back-to-back Super Bowl victories, but the game Philadelphia Eagles stood in the way. Leading up to the game, Eagles’ wide receiver (and future Burger King employee) Freddie Mitchell shot his mouth off about not knowing the names of anyone in the Patriots’ secondary.
That was bad enough, but then he said he had a little something for Rodney Harrison.
I guess he meant it when he said “little” because Mitchell was a non-factor in the Super Bowl. Harrison, on the other hand, was a beast. Immediately after having an interception called back due to penalty, he stopped a potential Eagles’ scoring drive by picking off McNabb.
But the most memorably play from that game was McNabb’s last pass. Rodney Harrison intercepted it, icing the game, then proceeded to run down to field flapping his arms, mocking the thousands of rowdy (and now disappointed) Eagles fans that dominated the crowd.
It’s hard to imagine a better moment for any player than that one, but there is one…
1) “Thank you for believing in me!”
The end of the Super Bowl against the Panthers was crazy. Both defenses were completely spent, and both offenses took advantage. It might have been the greatest fourth quarter in Super Bowl history.
During the Panther’s last drive, Rodney Harrison broke his arm. He knew it was broken, but the Panthers were in the hurry-up offense. Harrison couldn’t get off the field. Not only did he stay on the field, but on the next play he made the tackle, breaking his arm even worse.
Tedy Bruschi summed that sequence up nicely to the Boston Herald earlier this week:
“He broke his arm and didn’t come off the field,” Bruschi said. “He played the next play, made the tackle on the next play, and then it completely broke. For him to do that, that shows his toughness. He went and got the air cast on and said, ‘I’m not staying in here, let me go back out there.’
“And of course then there was the celebration pose, with confetti coming down and his arm in a brace. That’s the toughness of Rodney Harrison.”
THAT was Rodney Harrison. THAT was the player I loved. The whole scene ended with Harrison and Belichick embracing, Belichick telling Harrison how glad he was to have him on the team, and Harrison thanking Belichick for believing in him.
My single, all-time favorite moment as a Patriots fan.
Rodney had some down moments (the HGH issue and not being able to break up the Tyree pass in the Giants’ Super Bowl). But the great moments outweigh the bad ones, and the bad ones only proved the man was human.
Rodney Harrison: My favorite New England Patriot ever, and one of the greatest New England Patriots ever.
You will be missed.
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Questions? Comments? Insults? You can email them to Sean Crowe at scrowe@gmail.com.
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Comments
Okay, for #4, that was only because the refs were bought and didn't call any of the Pats for holding. I hadn't seen that much holding since the Broncos' teams of the 90's. But I begrudgingly have to give you #5 and I love #2.
My #1 is still David Tyree catching that pass over Harrison...:)
MJ, are you talking 2003 or 2004.
I forget which unstoppable Colt offense was which.:)
If 2003, please tell me how Brown was able to get of the line but Harrison was not.
It was not top secret the refs threw no flags on EITHER team. Belichick put Brown in motion. Dungy saw that and thought, "No, we are fine, but I can see how that would help."
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