James Harrison won't dispute his place in Steelers history as he prepares to be inducted into the franchise's Hall of Honor. But when it comes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Harrison feels his career doesn't quite measure up.
The former Steelers' pass rusher doesn't feel he's worthy of a gold jacket despite a career that included two Super Bowl wins, five straight Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro nods and a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008. Harrison also authored one of the most memorable plays in NFL history: a 100-yard pick-six during Pittsburgh's win over Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII.
"It's a numbers thing," Harrison recently said on former teammate Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" podcast. "I understand accolades and everything and the impact and all, but another part of it is numbers. And when you look at numbers, the numbers do not equate to what Hall of Fame numbers should look like."
Harrison has a point. While he was a dominant player in his heyday, Harrison's career sack total doesn't compare with pass rushers who are in the Hall of Fame. Harrison's 84.5 career sacks are tied for the 100th most in NFL history. To compare, former Patriots standout Andre Tippett's 100 sacks are the fewest by a linebacker currently inducted in Canton, Ohio.
Harrison's career total swells to 95.5 sacks when you add in his 11 sacks in the postseason, which is tied for the sixth-most in playoff history. And when you add in Harrison's other accomplishments, you can still make a case that Harrison's career at least deserves consideration for the Hall.
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A late start is the main reason why Harrison's career sack total isn't higher. After not getting drafted in 2002, Harrison (who played college football at Kent State and actually had four sacks in a game against then-Miami Redhawks quarterback Ben Roethlisberger) didn't stick on the Steelers' roster until 2004 and didn't become a starter until 2007, when he was 29 years old.
Despite his late start, Harrison ended his career with Pittsburgh as the franchise's career sack leader, a record that stood until T.J. Watt surpassed his tally in Week 2 of the 2023 season.
Heyward, who is 2.5 sacks away from passing Harrison on the Steelers' career list, made that argument while reminding Harrison of his game-changing play against the Cardinals that helped Pittsburgh capture the franchise's sixth Lombardi Trophy.
"I understand what you're saying," Harrison said. "But I'm saying, on pure numbers, it's not there. It's only 80-something sacks, you know what I'm saying? You're looking at a base of at least triple digits before you're able to put yourself in that group of elite pass rushers."
While being inducted into the Hall of Fame would be "pretty cool," Harrison said his induction this fall into the Steelers' Hall of Honor is a remarkable achievement in its own right.
"To be put in a group of guys that are in that company right now, that Hall of Honor, you know, that's a tremendous, tremendous honor," Harrison recently told TMZ Sports, via the Tribune-Review. "There's legends, you know, (the) Steel Curtain, Joe Greene, guys like that. It's great company. (If) I wouldn't get into the Hall of Fame, I'm in the Steelers Hall of Fame. That's good enough for me."
