Two-time Super Bowl champion defensive back, turned NBC analyst, Rodney Harrison covered some Q&A from Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: Where does this Seahawks defense rank historically?
A: It’s hard to tell right now, because I think they really have to win this game. If they can win this game, and have the complete dominance like they’ve had in back-to-back years, I would say it’s definitely a top-10 defense of all time. I don’t know if it’s fair for me to say a top five. … The only reason I would say a top five is because of all the rules changes, because they’ve had to adjust and adapt. They do what they do, and to be able to do what they’ve done with the rule changes is pretty remarkable to me.
Q: What is it specifically that impresses you about that defense?
A: Just the energy they play with … the physicality. You [have] got Earl Thomas, one of the smaller free safeties in the league, and he hits like he’s a 230-pound linebacker. … Kam Chancellor, he’s a big safety, but I’ve seen his growth in terms of his coverage skills, and I think people really underestimate, because of his size, his athleticism. … I think Richard Sherman is the second-best cornerback in this league — that’s not being critical of him, I just think that Darrelle Revis does a lot. I think the underrated guy in that secondary is [cornerback Byron] Maxwell. … Everyone talks about the Legion of Boom, and they kinda exclude him. But really he’s the X-factor because he can do a lot more than what a lot of those guys can do. He can line up in the slot, he can go to the left side, he can to the right side if he has to. And they’re definitely not afraid to tackle.
Q: Why do you give Revis the edge over Sherman?
A: Because just the versatility. I think when you have a No. 1 cornerback, if he’s a true No. 1 — and I’m not saying Richard Sherman’s not a true No. 1 — but if he wants to be the best cornerback in the league, he has to be able to go on every aspect of the defense and be able to cover. And that’s the one thing that Darrelle Revis does — he matches up on the No. 1 receiver, whether it’s in the slot [or not]. … He’s faced Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Jordy Nelson, Steve Smith — he’s faced all those guys. It’s very difficult to be able to do that on a week-in-and-week-out basis. Just imagine the mental stress, the physical pressure that it puts on your body being able to do stuff like that. Whereas Richard Sherman, he has games off, where he doesn’t have to do anything. He can just sit back and chill, and do really nothing, because a lot of times, what offenses are doing, they’re putting their third wide receiver over there just to occupy him. Yes, he shuts down the complete left side of the football field, but at the same time, he’s not taking away the No. 1 receiver.
Q: How would Rodney Harrison defend Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski?
A: I would be up in his face. I would jam him. He’s big, 6-7, 270 pounds. But the one thing I’ve seen with Gronk, if you can jam him in the chest — ’cause he plays high, he’s not a big-time knee bender or anything like that, he plays high — so I would jam him right in the shoulders, and I would stay in front of him. If I’m one of those secondary guys like Kam Chancellor, I know my pass rush is gonna get there within the 3 ¹/₂- [or] 4-second mark, and I know I can play tight coverage. I’m big enough where I can jam him, but I’m fast enough that I can run with him. The caveat to that is in the red zone. If [Gronkowski] splits out wide, they’re gonna run two or three plays out there for Gronk, and Tom Brady and Gronk, they have a really good rapport with one another, so that’s the difficulty.
Q: It’s doubtful that Chancellor will be able to intimidate Gronk the way he did Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas, correct?
A: You can’t say that he intimidated Demaryius, because Demaryius really didn’t see him. It’s one thing to hit a guy when he’s looking, it’s another thing to hit a guy when he’s not. But the intimidating factor is you have the biggest, most physical safety in the league sitting there in the middle waiting for you. I think that becomes the biggest difference. But also, the other part of that is, Gronk is now healthy. He had time off against Buffalo, he’s had a bye week, and he’s 100 percent, and he is a load.
Q: Does Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch remind you of anybody?
A: He kinda reminds me of a little bit of everyone. He kinda reminds me a little bit of Jim Brown … kinda Walter Payton, the way he kinda high steps, the physicality. … The sweet part about Marshawn is this is a time where running backs really start to wear down. He just now starts to get stronger, and that’s the amazing part about Marshawn. I think people really underestimate how this guy takes care of his body, and what he means to this team. His play is very infectious to the team.
Q: Compare the young Tom Brady to the 37-year-old Brady.
A: I think one thing that people haven’t really recognized about Brady [is he] has moved a lot more in the pocket and outside that pocket, and part of the reason is because of the inconsistent play of the offensive line. He looks good, and he’s bought time, and I can remember specific plays where he scrambled, bought some time, the linemen had broken down as far as blocking, and he was able to make the plays and extend plays. Now it doesn’t look pretty, but it gets the job done.
Q: What was he like as a teammate?
A: He was fantastic as a teammate. He was always so humble. Always challenging and competitive. He would get really [ticked] off in 2-minute drills. I remember one specific story: We’re in Houston at practice on Thursday of Super Bowl week playing against the Carolina Panthers [following the 2003 season], and I picked him off in a 2-minute drill, and he just chased me around practice yelling obscenities, and screaming and yelling. He wouldn’t talk to me that whole day. But that’s how competitive he is. He doesn’t want to lose at anything.
Q: What makes Seahawks QB Russell Wilson unique?
A: I think just the maturity level for a young guy like that. We’ve seen some knuckleheads come and go in this league, the JaMarcus Russells, the Ryan Leafs and guys like that, but it really pleases my heart to be able to see guys like Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson to show the leadership, to show the maturity, to see guys that are embraced by their teammates. It’s not always about the physical play, because yeah, guys can be physically talented like [Robert Griffin III], but if your teammates don’t respect you, they’re not gonna play for you, they’re not gonna back you up. And that’s what I’ve seen with Russell Wilson. His teammates respect him, they love him, they believe in him, and he showed me a lot against Green Bay.
Q: How would you anticipate Patriots coach Bill Belichick defending him?
A: I just think it’s about rushing him the right way. You don’t have to necessarily make a lot of sacks, but I think the last time they played, 2012 [a 24-23 Seattle win], he extended some plays, and he made some broken plays, some big plays, and it really hurt the Patriots. I think what you have to do. I think Bill’s gonna take his chances of keeping him in the pocket. Now some people would say, “Well … he’s made a lot of plays in the pocket.” Yeah, he becomes a good quarterback when he’s in the pocket. But he’s a great quarterback when he’s outside that pocket because he extends the plays. He puts pressure on the defensive backs, he puts pressure on the defensive line, and it’s just very difficult to cover guys for 45 seconds.
Q: How do you think Deflategate might affect the legacies of Belichick and Brady?
A: I just think that we have to kind of sit back and wait and see what happens. Now if it comes back and if the Patriots win and it shows that they did that, and they lied after saying that they didn’t have anything to do with it, then obviously I think it’s gonna be something that’s gonna stick with ’em, and it might ruin the legacy. But, we have to sit back and wait for the facts to come.
Q: Who is your likely MVP in this game?
A: I think it would be a quarterback to be honest with you. The only way they’re gonna beat the Patriots is they’re gonna have to play extremely well. [Wilson is] gonna have to win the football game for ’em. This is one of the best defenses he’s faced, and this is gonna be a team that he probably hasn’t seen [often]. He’s gonna have to figure out the ability of Bill Belichick to make adjustments. All year these receivers have complained about people calling them average, well, they’re a little bit above average, they’re not great, and the Patriots defensive backs definitely don’t fear these guys. So from an offensive standpoint, they’re gonna have to win the game.
Q: Who would you pick to be an unsung hero in this game?
A: I think a guy like [Patriots linebacker] Jamie Collins might be a guy like that, because of his versatility. He can defend guys out of the backfield. … He’s probably the best pure athlete on the football field, because he can do so many different things, and no one’s really talked about Jamie Collins from a defensive standpoint. Offensively, [Patriots receiver Julian] Edelman can be a guy that can have 10 or 12 catches like Deion Branch … because Edelman can be so many different things. He can return punts — and he’s been very effective with that — he can play in the slot, he can do reverses, obviously he can pass the ball. With that zone defense, he can catch a lot of those passes, they could be 4-yard, 6-yard passes, but with his run-after-the-catch ability, he can make something happen.
Q: The coaching matchup: Pete Carroll vs. Belichick.
A: If I had to give an edge, obviously I would give it to Bill, because just the experience and his in-game adjustments and what he can do with lesser talent. He’s one of those guys, you don’t have to have five All-Pros on your team in order to have success, and I think he’s done it. I think he’s proven it, and I think he’s really eager to win this. To be playing six Super Bowls, there’s a big difference between 4-2 and 3-3.
Q: The one trait that Belichick has that makes him the best coach of this generation.
A: Attention to detail. He doesn’t forget anything. He remembers everything. It’s like one of those crazy things where you sit back after a game plan, and you say, “Well, are there any I’s I didn’t dot or T’s I didn’t cross, and he leaves nothing to imagination. Everything that we work on, everything that we watch on tape, it’s always about preparation, and Belichick, I tell you, he’s the best that I’ve ever been around.
Q: Would you have liked to have played for Carroll?
A: Pete Carroll allows you to be who you are. His personality, and I think that’s what makes him really good at coaching, because he understands different personalities, and he understands that you can have a unique personality, you can be an individual amongst the team, and still have a great team concept. And I think that’s the special part of Pete Carroll, being able to pick all those personalities, all those strong, different, cocky personalities and bring ’em together, and believe in one thing that he’s trying to do. And I think that really makes what he’s done there so special.
Q: Are you going to have flashbacks of the David Tyree’s Super Bowl XLII helmet catch when you go to the stadium Sunday?
A: I’ve already been to the stadium a few times, and it’s not even that critical to me. It’s one of those things that happened one in a million times. And what can you say, man? We had many opportunities to win that game — we dropped three interceptions, we had a fumble on the sideline by [running back] Ahmad Bradshaw we couldn’t get, we had two 300-pounders that [nearly sacked] Eli Manning. It just wasn’t meant for us to win.
Q: How high is up for Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr?
A: It’s really up to him, because I think the difficult part of having success as a rookie, now all of a sudden you have certain expectations, and I just would tell Odell, “Don’t get caught up in the hype.” You have six months of offseason. People are gonna tell you how great you are. Whatever your approach was when you came in you got drafted, you have to make sure that you stay humble, and you have to work your [butt] off each and every day. And you gotta understand that last year was last year, you’re only as good as what you do next. I think his parents will keep him humble and keep him planted, but New York is a big city, and it’s so easy to get caught up in the hype and people tell him how great he is. If he can do that, he can be spectacular, because he plays with toughness — he’s a small dude, but he plays with toughness, he plays with a lot of confidence, and he’s very, very athletic.
Q: Was his catch better than Tyree’s?
A: The difference between those two catches was one was … some average would call it luck, some people that are from a spiritual standpoint would call it faith. But Odell Beckham’s was pure skill. And he proved that he can make those catches at any point in time. That other David Tyree catch (chuckle), that was a one-in-a-million catch. That’s the difference.
Q: What do you remember about Todd Bowles as a player, and how do you think he will be as a the Jets new coach?’
A: I don’t remember anything about him as a player, but the one thing I know, that players love creativity when it comes from a defensive standpoint, and Todd, from what I hear, he’s a players’ coach, but he still demands respect, he’s a very smart individual, and he’s a straight shooter, and I think that’s what you have to have. You don’t want a coach blowing smoke up your butt. You don’t want a coach telling you something that you know that’s not necessarily true. I think Todd Bowles should stick to what he believes, and not get caught up and get intimidated by the New York media. … If I have one piece of advice I would tell Todd Bowles: If you believe in something, do it. Don’t get swayed by the New York media, don’t have them influence you, the fans or anything like that, to change what you believe. Because that’s the one thing that I’ve learned from Bill Belichick: He does things that benefit his team, not because it’s pressure because of the media or the fans.
Q: What do you think of Rex Ryan in Buffalo?
A: I know Rex is a good coach. But in this league to win, you need a quarterback. They can sit back and get Rex, they can go get Bill Belichick, and maybe they’ll end up 10-6 or 11-5. But in order to win on a consistent basis, you gotta find a personnel department that can put talent on the field. … I know Rex can coach defense, but I think if I was Buffalo, I probably would have went with a, maybe a young guy like Todd Bowles, or maybe like a Dan Quinn — a new energy, something different. Because when you’re coaching over a course of five or six years, the pressure of the New York media, the travel, all that stuff wears a coach down, and I just thought that Buffalo just should have started over with a new breed of ideas.
Q: You like Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as a head coach?
A: I think he’s gonna be fantastic. I think he’s learned a lot, even when he turned down some head jobs and said he wasn’t ready, I think he’ll be fine. I think Atlanta would be dumb not to hire him.
Q: Do you think Peyton Manning will come back?
A: He’ll have the ability to go out there, and with the weapons they have and all those different issues they have, he can pass for 4,000 yards. I don’t think that’s an issue. But I think when you’re 38, 39 years old, and you’re playing the rigors of an NFL season, training camp, minicamp, OTAs, working out, you get worn down, and I think mentally as well as physically, you can’t recover the way you used to. I think he would be a great NFL owner, because obviously he’s got the money to do it, but also, maybe go into broadcasting because he has such a great knowledge of the game.
Q: Did you think you would be so good on television?
A: I just go out there and do my job, and to be true to myself. If something needs to be said, I have to point it out, and I’m not there to be friends, but I’m there to be fair to my audience.
Q: What was your on-field mentality?
A: I just hated everybody. I was just mean. I just wanted to hit people, I just wanted to win, I wanted to compete, and I didn’t want to make any friends. I don’t think when you play football you have to make friends. A guy across from me, he’s trying to take my livelihood, he’s trying to make me look bad, and I’m not gonna allow that to happen.
Q: You were on the opposing side with 49ers QB Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in Super Bowl XXIX against the Chargers.
A: This is what I remember about that: We beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship, and we were celebrating, we were partying, and really that was our Super Bowl. The way we hung out, and the way a lot of veteran players treated the week of the Super Bowl, I knew we were done. I knew we had no chance, because even when we went on the field against those guys while they were warming up, our guys were sitting there in awe of Jerry Rice, John Taylor and all those guys. They didn’t believe that they could best those guys.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Ronnie Lott, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Scarface.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Denzel Washington.
Q: Favorite entertainers?
A: Lionel Ritchie, Anita Baker, Toni Braxton.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Pizza.