James Harrison the legendary Steelers linebacker joined Episode 15 of the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast and the former All-Pro didn’t disappoint or hold back with the stories of his playing career. Co-host Spencer T’eo and Ben Roethlisberger are now three for three when they hold a watch party with Steelers legends during a Pittsburgh Steelers game. Previously Charlie Batch and Maurkice Pouncey were present for Steeler victories and Harrison completed the trio during the 19-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Harrison had an incredibly hard road to the NFL. He was cut several times and even had to play in NFL Europe for the Rhein Fire during his journey to the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl Champion. The former All-Pro had to work his way onto the roster and eventually into a starting position with the Steelers before becoming a dominant force. During his final season in 2017, he recognized that a Steelers rookie who was already making an impact was doing well but was playing out of position. Harrison recalls watching practice and realizing that T.J. Watt was great, but the Steelers weren’t maximizing his talent.
“Oh, I love T.J. man, I tried to do that, I aint going to lie,” Harrison responded to Roethlisberger suggesting they should have played on opposite sides. “He was originally on the right and T.J. had a move on his left that I saw in practice, I said yo, why don’t you move T.J. to the left. I’m not saying I need to get in there, but he got a move on his left side he can’t do on his right.”
Harrison was in the final year of his career and Watt had supplanted him on the right side during his rookie season. Watt only had seven sacks in his rookie season, but he displayed enormous potential. Bud Dupree occupied the left side during that season and Harrison was just a rotational piece to rest the pair during the first few games of the season. He was later released by the Steelers in the season, and he signed on for a Super Bowl run with the New England Patriots later that year before hanging it up.
“I guess they decided after you know the year,” Harrison said. “Move him to the left side and instant double-digit sacks. Like, I got a move on my right I can’t do on my left. If you are going against a better tackle, it speaks a little bit more, but you’re still professional athletes. If he stays healthy man there is no limit, no limit.”
The Steelers way that fans and the organization are so proud of is a veteran recognizing something in a young player and bringing it to the coaching staff. Teaching young players how to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and maximize their talent was a duty that Harrison felt obliged to do. Watt has had the third-best start to a career sacking the quarterback trailing his brother and some old guy who couldn’t even stick with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reggie White. White of course was the most dominant defensive lineman in history and the best defensive player not named Lawrence Taylor I have ever seen.
Watt is not out of place in sentences that compare him to legendary defenders, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. The interesting thing is that if the Steelers coaches had listened to Harrison during his rookie season, he may have reached double-digit sacks in his rookie season and possibly surpassed White and his brother as the all-time sack leader for the first five seasons in NFL history. The 2017 13-3 Pittsburgh team could have been even better defensively, but we will never know because they waited until 2018 to make the change.
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