Who is the Real Marvin Harrison?

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

There’s a rather disturbing story about Marvin Harrison in the new ESPN Magazine (01.26.09). I’ve always admired Marvin for his stellar play and the way he performed his job. Who hasn’t? He and Peyton Manning hold the record for most receptions between a quarterback and receiver with 956. All the while, Marvin has seemed like a good guy — quiet and unassuming. He’s a lunch pail kind of player. He comes to work, does his job (well, I might add) and goes home. In this era of overpaid, high maintenance, loud mouth, prima donna receivers, he’s been a breath of fresh air.

That was on the field. Off the field, I guess like most people, I didn’t know much about Marvin. And I still don’t. And I don’t need to. I respect the guy’s right to have his privacy. I know I wouldn’t want the media meddling in my life if I were in his position. The only thing I can remember about him (from a Monday Night Football interview many moons ago) is that he likes junk food — which seems strange for a professional athlete. Anyway, after last April’s shooting incident left three people wounded in Marvin’s hometown of Philadelphia (two witnesses are pointing at Marvin as the shooter), it brought to light an entirely different side of Peyton Manning’s favorite target — the great Marvin Harrison, a future Hall of Famer, was something of a thug. As it turns out, he showed a violent side before this shooting. Now in his late 30s with steadily declining numbers and these off the field problems, his National Football League playing days appear to be numbered.

Source: ESPN.com