The 2008 NFL Defensive Player Of The Year Wasn’t Even Drafted
January 6, 2009 by Lyndsey D'Arcangelo
Filed under Football, Sports Rumors
James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers won the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. 
Duh! Of course he did. Tell me who’s better. He has 24 1/2 sacks in the past two seasons alone, and led the league this year with seven forced fumbles.
Did you know that he wasn’t even drafted out of college? I didn’t. I read it in an article this morning on Yahoo! Sports.
According to the article, Harrison wasn’t drafted out of Kent State, was cut four times before finally making it onto an NFL roster. A week before the Steelers went to camp in 2004, outside linebacker Clark Haggans was injured, causing coach Bill Cowher to bring back Harrison literally hours before camp began. Harrison had been cut three times previously by Pittsburgh. Later that season, Joey Porter got into a pregame fight in Cleveland, and Harrison unexpectedly made his first NFL start.
“Somebody else’s misfortune is somebody else’s fortune,” Harrison said. “It’s just hard work, perseverance and little blessings here and there.”
Stories like this are why I love sports.
To read the entire Yahoo! Sports article, go here.
Photo provided by Newscom
