It's official: Hit Man Harrison in improbable internship
You want to know why next week's NFL Europe league workouts are worth following? I can tell you in two words:
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| Rodney Harrison remains one of the league's most feared hitters. (Getty Images) |
It's not that Harrison has anything to do with the tryouts. It's that he has everything to do with the officiating, with the New England safety expected to serve as one of five interns chosen from NFL rosters.
The league office on Friday confirmed that Harrison, the Hit Man the league loves to fine, will participate in the three-day clinic, with the first session beginning Monday.
"It could be a job after football or it could be to get a better understanding of officiating," said Harrison's agent, Steve Feldman. "It's probably just to get a better and more well-rounded look at the game."
Believe it or not, it seems to have something to do with Column A, with Harrison taking his second stab at this in two years. He was scheduled to appear as an officiating intern at last year's NFL Europe training camp but was unable to make it, so he signed on again in what is the oddest combination this side of Martha Stewart and prison décor.
"I think everyone's going to look at it as a ironic," said Mike Pereira, the league's director of officiating, "but the one thing I'll say about Rodney Harrison is that he's always treated officials with respect."
Maybe that's because he knows them so well. In his 11 years in the NFL, Harrison has been fined more than $300,000 by the league office -- including an NFL-record $110,000 in 2002 -- and been fingered by colleagues who participated in a Sports Illustrated poll as the dirtiest player in the game.
Remember that hit that ended quarterback Trent Green's season in 1999? It was Rodney Harrison. Remember that helmet-to-helmet hit on wide receiver Jerry Rice? Uh-huh, Harrison again. That one cost him a week's suspension. Harrison estimated he has been fined over $350,000 with his reputation so firmly established that he was fined $7,500 in the AFC Championship Game for an offense he claims he never committed.
Anyway, you get the idea. Rodney Harrison and the league office have a long history, which makes his latest idea to join his nemesis intriguing to say the least.
"Hey, who better than Rodney Harrison to do this?" said Feldman.
Harrison won't be alone in his three-day job change. He will be joined by defensive end Raylee Johnson, fullback Fred McCrary, linebacker Shelton Quarles and offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer. The internship program, a joint initiative of the NFL and NFL Players Association, was introduced in 2003 and expanded last year to include officiating and game operations.
I'm guessing it wasn't done with the idea of it appealing to Rodney Harrison. Yet he will be there, and good for him. The guy's an outstanding player who drills opponents and pays for it. Literally. Maybe this is as much a business course for Harrison as anything, with the strong safety looking for tips on how to manage his money.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for players to develop other skills and pursue other career goals," said Art Shell, the NFL's senior vice president of football operations and development. "The program provides our players -- active or retired -- the chance to find out whether coaching, officiating or front-office work in the NFL is for them."
I don't know that Rodney Harrison crosses over to the other side after his career is through, but it has been known to happen. In fact, 60 former NFL players have gone on to officiate in the NFL, and none with the credentials -- correction, the record -- of Rodney Harrison.
All I know is that Rodney Harrison is where I never thought he'd be -- and probably where he thought he'd never be, either. Monday, it's in the classroom, boning up on rules and studying videotapes. Tuesday, it's on the fields, gaining on-the-job experience by officiating scrimmages. Wednesday, it's back in the classroom to evaluate the performances of the day before.
"I think Rodney Harrison is very serious in his commitment to this part of the program," said Pereira, "and he's talked about continuing with something like this when his career is over. I'm just grateful players like him want to look into officiating."
NFL Europe players can be grateful, too. They can thank their lucky stars that Rodney Harrison is calling the shots next week, not delivering them.
