Rodney Harrison was named a 2024 Hall of Fame finalist earlier this week. Bill Belichick believes he deserves the honor.
“This is the best defense I"ve ever coached,"
Belichick said at a news conference Friday morning.
“I"ve coached a lot of Hall of Fame players. He"s one of the smartest players I"ve ever coached."
“It"s very difficult to stop the run game, like blitzes, base coverage, etc.,"
he added.
"He was also inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame He"s going to be on my regular season team, no question about it,"
Belichick said.
When asked who else would be on his regular roster, Belichick said he wasn"t sure.
“If you played with him, you were either going to be great or embarrassed, one of the two," the Patriots head coach said. “He gave the team a great game and helped everybody."
“People have a lot of respect for what he does."
As a football player. What he brings to our team.
Belichick added:
“He"s what our team needs. The guy is a great football player. Rodney Harrison has Bill Belichick by his side. This week, the former Patriot Team tight end announced as a 2024 Hall of Fame finalist."
On Friday, Belichick went to bat with Harrison and explained why he believes Canton should be given the safety. Belichick coached Harrison from 2003 to 2008 and considered him the best safety he coached throughout his NFL career.
“Best safety I"ve ever coached. One of the best players I"ve ever coached,"
Belichick said. He is the best shooter. He is a great hero. You did a good job hiding what you said.
He will definitely be in my all-time team without a doubt. Harrison won two Super Bowls with Belichick and the Patriots.
In 2023, he was named a first-team All-Pro and finished fourth in NFL Defensive Player voting.
Harrison led a dominant Patriots defense with 125 tackles, three interceptions, 11 passes defensed, three sacks and eight tackles for loss this season.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked on Friday about S Rodney Harrison, a Hall of Fame finalist. Belichick made clear his belief that Harrison deserves a spot in Canton. https://t.co/jyXExGO1QO
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 29, 2023
Harrison is the first player in NFL history to record 30 tackles and 30 sacks. He has a chance to become the sixth player on Belichick"s Patriots team to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Belichick said Harrison did a lot more than any stat sheet could show.
“He"s a great practice player too. He"ll definitely be part of my absolute squad, no doubt."
Just days after being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time in his career, Patriots legend Rodney Harrison was honored by his former head coach.
Bill Belichick spent a few minutes at his press conference Friday praising the two-time Super Bowl-winning safety and telling reporters why he thinks Harrison should be honored next summer in Canton, Ohio.
“Best safety I"ve ever coached,"
Belichick said.
"There are a few other guys that I coached that are in the Hall of Fame. Belichick says Harrison is the best safety he"s ever coached, and that"s true."
In 49 seasons as an NFL coach, Belichick coached safeties including three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty, All-Pro Eric Turner and All-Pro Milloy, among others.
“He"s one of the best coaches I"ve ever coached,"
Belichick said.
“He"ll be on my all-time list, no doubt."
While Belichick explained how well Harrison and the Patriots" other defensive backs are doing, he also said the former safety makes his teammates better in a variety of ways.
In addition to Harrison"s performance and team success, he also earned some rare statistical honors at safety and defense.
While Harrison"s resume is impressive, there are few things that stand out about him that didn"t happen during Belichick"s six years coaching him.
“He"s a good practice player, too,"
Belichick said of Harrison.
“He"s going to be better than everyone else on the team."
Harrison is expected to become the sixth player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during Belichick"s 24 years coaching the Patriots.
The other five are Junior Shaw, Randy Moss, Ty Lowe, Richard Seymour and Darrelle Revis. He will learn his fate on Feb. 8, when the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is announced at the NFL"s Hall of Fame Ceremony.
The man is a good football player and a good friend. “When the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters gather for a big meeting before the Super Bowl, Bill Belichick won"t be there.
On the topic, Belichick was asked what Harrison brought to the team when he arrived as a free agent in 2003. The rest of the reaction from Belichick, who added Harrison to his list, was overwhelming to say the least.
The best safety I have ever taught. Great players, great people, great competitors, it"s all possible. One of the most talented players I have ever coached.
He is very difficult to block in the run game, as a blitz, in the kickoff coverage, etc.
He is one of the best teachers I have ever trained with. He"ll always be on my team — right behind [Lawrence] Taylor — without a doubt.
I mean, he really goes there, you know, there. He is also a good coach. I mean, we lost really good players from Monday to Monday.
The man is a good football player and a good friend. In 63 games with the Patriots, he had 446 tackles, including eight interceptions, seven sacks, two fumble recoveries and nine sacks.
In nine playoff games with the Patriots, he had 73 tackles, seven interceptions (one touchdown), two forced fumbles, and two sacks.
Prior to joining the Patriots, Harrison played nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers, where he recorded 760 tackles, 26 interceptions (two touchdowns), eight forced fumbles, with seven receptions (1 TD) and 21.5 sacks during the regular season, and also appeared in four playoff games, including Super Bowl XXIX in his rookie season.
Along with Ray Lewis, Harrison is one of two players in NFL history with at least 30 sacks and 30 interceptions in a career.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick expressed his support for safety Rodney Harrison, who was named one of the finalists for the new Pro Football Hall of Fame this week.
Belichick praised Harrison"s impact on the team and highlighted the safety"s potential for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Belichick"s endorsement of Harrison"s Hall of Fame induction shows the impact the safety has had on the Patriots and the team as a whole.
While Belichick doesn"t have any official comments in the Hall of Fame selection process, his positive comments about Harrison"s career make the safety"s prospects even better.
Belichick"s praise is a testament to Harrison"s incredible talent and the profound impact he has had on the teams he has played for, providing a strong case for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Fans had this to say:
Well he’s wrong, any DB that lets a 3rd rate WR catch a pass on his helmet and can’t knock it off, losing the SB doesn’t deserve the Hall of Fame
— Ray Merrill (@raymerrill) December 29, 2023
I remember when the Patriots signed him. During training camp Troy Brown and other WR’s were mad because he was hitting so hard in practice. Rodney is an all-time great!!!
— Eastside BOSTON Pats Fan (@TB12foreva) December 29, 2023
Whats funny is if Rodney stopped Tyree he would be in, zero question. More than likely first ballot.
— Antoine G. (@antoinegregario) December 29, 2023
"We make a giant Pop Tart mascot that everyone falls in love with and at the end of the game he goes down in a toaster and the winning team eats him" pic.twitter.com/veIOlKQnca
— Bustin Thomas (@bustin_thomas) December 29, 2023
