Greg Fulton: In honor of James Harrison, the ultimate grinder
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If there were a Grinder Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison would be in it. In fact, his statue might be in front of it.
Grinder is a term in sports that refers to a player who may not have been born with great natural skills or physical attributes but, despite that, became a great player. Unlike natural athletes, grinders succeed because of determination, grit, hard work and sheer will. They love the game and tend to be students of the sport. They study film, the playbook and opponents like surgeons may study medical books. They leave little to chance. They get to the training facility early and stay late honing their skills. They are a sponge in gathering information from coaches and other players. More than anything, they are team players who are comfortable being in the background and giving others credit for the team’s success.
Why are grinders so beloved by fans? Because they are more like the rest of us in that they were not born with the size, speed or strength of many great athletes. In their earlier years they may have been one of the last kids chosen for certain teams. Many of them did not go to a top Division I football power and some may not have been drafted. We love them because we can see ourselves in them and may dream that we, too, could have succeeded.
When James Harrison came out of college, he was deemed too short to be a linebacker and too light to be a defensive lineman. The odds of Harrison even playing in the NFL were extremely long. According to the record books, only 4% of undrafted players make it into the league, and a much smaller number have any type of career. The number who get into the Hall of Fame you can count on your fingers. Sometime in the future, Harrison will likely be one of those players inducted into that select club, and the honor will be even sweeter, as Canton isn’t far from his hometown of Akron.
The challenge for a grinder isn’t only making yourself better, but also getting others to believe in you. Getting pro coaches even to take a chance on you after 261 players were selected in the draft in 2002 — and you weren’t one of them — wasn’t easy. Early on, grinders tend to be fringe players who are always on the bubble and are constantly being moved on and off the practice squads or being cut and landing with a new team. They get minimum pay in the NFL and always keep a packed bag to be ready to move on short notice. It’s difficult enough to learn one system, but grinders become skilled and adept at being quick studies as they move to the next team.
Grinders, like Harrison, must endure multiple rejections early in their careers and still maintain faith in themselves. In many cases they may be the only ones with faith as others encourage them to give up the game.
Harrison was a walk-on to Kent State, where he ended up being a standout linebacker. Despite a stellar senior year, he was not drafted but was signed as a free agent in 2002 with the Steelers. He was cut from the Steelers several times and played for the Baltimore Ravens and even in the NFL Europe league before returning to the Steelers in 2004. After two years of bouncing around, Harrison finally stuck with the Steelers. Like a lot of grinders, once they arrive, they work even harder to stay. The team and coaches like them because they not only make themselves better players, but inspire others to do the same.
Sometimes fate plays a role in our lives. If Clark Haggins didn’t get injured during Steelers training camp in 2004, there is a good chance that Harrison might have continued to bounce around the league and ultimately be a footnote in the record books. Instead, that incident provided an opportunity for the Steelers to discover that Harrison had real talent and a heart and work ethic that offset his lack of size. In turn, Harrison found a city that was like him, made up of many fighters and long shots who, despite the odds, made it.
Harrison went on to be one of the best defensive backs in the league. When he retired in 2018, he finished with 793 total tackles, 84.5 sacks, eight interceptions and 34 forced fumbles. He was chosen five times for the Pro Bowl, and the Steelers won two Super Bowls during his tenure. He may be best remembered for his interception at the goal line of a pass by Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and returning it 100 yards for a touchdown. That feat still stands as a record for the longest interception in Super Bowl history.
Harrison is loved in Pittsburgh despite signing with the loathed New England Patriots in 2017 after he was cut by the Steelers. In 2018, he came back to Pittsburgh and retired as a Steeler. Like the returning hero, James Harrison was welcomed back by Steelers fans. In their eyes and hearts, he remains the ultimate grinder.