“Best safety I’ve coached.”
That was Bill Belichick’s description of Rodney Harrison when asked about the former Patriot who was named one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few months back.
It took the best safety Belichick ever coached a decade just to advance to this stage, to get his case heard by the 50 Hall voters who ultimately decide who’s in, and who doesn’t make the cut.
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It would be a joke if it takes another decade for Harrison to finally add a gold jacket to the red blazer he slipped on after being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
As we learned Thursday night during the NFL Honors award show, Harrison remains on the outside looking in. Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Andrew Johnson, Julius Peppers, and Patrick Willis were chosen as the newest Hall entrants from the modern era.
There were no defensive backs elected, as safeties Harrison and Darren Woodson were left out. While it’s not unusual for candidates to wait any number of years before getting in, the lack of Patriots gaining entry, especially from the first decade of championship teams, remains a sore spot.
Ty Law and Richard Seymour are the only members from those early Super Bowl teams with a bronze bust. Tom Brady will get one, too, but it’s still puzzling why the first wave of championship teams don’t have a more formidable presence in Canton.
One positive takeaway?
The fact Harrison got into the room with the other finalists for the first time, and had his case presented to the voters, is a good sign.
Chances are, if a Hall candidate gets in the room, he’ll eventually get in. So it’ll be interesting to see where it goes from here, if Harrison can continue to land in the finalist circle before one day getting the deserved knock on the door.
That’s certainly the hope for Harrison, as well as Vince Wilfork, who has been a semifinalist but has yet to advance as a finalist. Adam Vinatieri will be among the first-year eligible for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. He should be a lock, but it wouldn’t be wise to bet the farm on it.
Scott Pioli, who was the team’s V.P. of player personnel during those first three championships, has been outspoken about the lack of Patriots in the Hall from that time frame in particular.
“I find it odd, I find it disappointing,” Pioli said during an “Eye on Foxborough” podcast in December, “and I’m hoping that time will take care of it.”
And yet, when it comes to the Patriots, the deck still seems stacked against them. It’s been hard for many of their multiple ring winners to overcome the perception that the Patriots’ success was due to Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and a bunch of slappies.
It’s such a short-sighted and false narrative. It’s a disservice to so many players. Harrison was a difference-maker for a couple of those championship teams. He’s more than worthy.
Along with Belichick’s lofty praise, he has the credentials, especially when looking at his numbers and overall impact. His statistics stack up and in many cases surpass those of several safeties who have been enshrined recently.
Let’s take John Lynch, who was enshrined in 2021. How does Harrison compare?
While Lynch made it to more Pro Bowls, both are two-time All-Pro players. Harrison finished his career with eight more interceptions, 17.5 more sacks, and 147 more total tackles than Lynch. Harrison put those stats together starting 32 less games. He also has one more Super Bowl ring than Lynch.
LeRoy Butler?
Harrison finished his career with three more forced fumbles, 10 more sacks, and over 300 more total tackles than Butler, who was inducted in 2022. Butler was part of one championship team.
Brian Dawkins?
Harrison finished with 100 more career tackles than Dawkins, while playing in 40 less games. Dawkins, while considered one of the best safeties of his generation, never won a Super Bowl.
And then there’s this: Harrison is the only defensive back to record 30 or more interceptions and have 30 or more sacks. He was the first of any player at any position to accomplish the feat, before being joined by Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis.
Harrison might be the most well-rounded safety in the group. He could cover tight ends, play in the box, pressure the quarterback and basically make plays all over the field.
Has the fact he was considered a dirty player by some impacted his candidacy? Maybe. Or that he was suspended four games in the 2007 season after knowingly using human growth hormone (HGH), a banned substance by the NFL? Probably.
But the Pro Football Hall of Fame isn’t made up by choir boys alone, or players who haven’t made mistakes along the way.
Harrison shouldn’t be turned away because the Patriots are considered a Brady-Belichick production, or he played a little too rough.
“I’ve been fighting for Rodney since the moment he was eligible (in 2014),” Pioli said. “Regardless of how you look at him, when you look at film, if you’re a film person, you can see he was truly one of the greats in the league. If you look at it from an analytics standpoint, he was truly one of the greats. I’ve never been someone who’s made it just about numbers. But when you look at film, when you look at tape during Rodney’s time, there’s no doubt he’s one of the best players in the National Football League at that position.”
One who’s still waiting to gain his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
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