Rodney Harrison Bio: Early Life, Career, Relationship & Net Worth

Rodney Harrison is a former professional American National Football League (NFL) football player.

He has played as strong safety during his career at San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. He has won two-time Super Bowl rings. As well as being selected for Pro Bowl twice.

At present, Rodney Harrison (Rodney Scott Harrison) serves as an NBC Sunday Night Football commentator, which he joined in 2009. He’s a three-time All-Pro champion and two-time Super Bowl champion.

Rodney Harrison set and still holds a defensive back record for sacks during his career and becomes the first NFL player with 30 bags and 30 intercepts.

 This article discusses all you need to know about the former NFL star.

Rodney Harrison: Quick Facts

Date of Birth:	1972, December 15
Age:	51 Years Old
Birth Nation:	United States
Height:	6 Feet
Birth Name	Rodney Scott Harrison
Birth Place	Markham, Illinois
Famous Name	Rodney Harrison
Mother	Barbara Harrison
Net Worth	$11.5 million
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	white
Profession	Analyst
Started career as	American Footballer
Currently Working For	Sunday Night Football on NBC
Currently Married	yes
Married to	Erika Harrison
Social Media	Twitter
Merch	Books, Jersey, Rookie Card
Last Update	April, 2024

Rodney Harrison: Early Life & Education

Rodney Scott Harrison, also known as Rodney Harrison, was born in Markham, Illinois, the United States, on 15 December 1972.

He’s the only son of Barbara Harrison. His sign of stars is Sagittarius. He is an American per nationality and belongs to the ethnicity of Afro-America.

We could find no more information could be found about his childhood days or his siblings and family.

He got in at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, where he started playing football.

After graduating from school, he joined Western Illinois University in 1991 for his higher education. He also continued his career at college. He finished his graduation in 1993.

Rodney Harrison: Age & Height

Harrison was born on 15 December 1972 in Markham, Illinois, United States. Harrison is 51 years old.

He is pretty tall and stands at 6ft, and has a matching weight of 220 lb(100 kg). Talking about his other physical appearance, he has got Dark Brwon hair color with Brown eyes.

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Rodney Harrison: Career

Early Career

Harrison played football at the University of Western Illinois from 1991 to 1993. He is the record holder of the school’s career challenges (345) and the game challenges (28).

However, Harrison was a Second-Team All-Gateway Football Conference before being registered as a First-Team All-Gateway Pick as a sophomore and junior.

The Associated Press also named him a second All-American team as a sophomore and a first All-American team as a junior.

Professional Career

As he started playing football and his career from his school life, later, he made it his professional career. Rodney began his professional career with the San Diego Chargers in 1994.

The club drew him up in the fifth round of the 1994 draft. As a starting member of the team, he played as a defenseman in 1996. He was playing for the club until 2002.

New England Patriots

Harrison helped the New England Patriots win their second title in three years in Super Bowl XXXVIII. In his tenth year in the league, Harrison made a big impact and his first Super Bowl ring.

Harrison was named to the Associated Press All-Pro team following a 140-tackle (a 2003 NFL best for a defensive back) and three-sack season. 

He even got named a defensive captain in his first year with the Patriots by the coaching staff after Lawyer Milloy was released. Harrison is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

2004 season

Harrison was a great player and helped New England’s defense finish second in the NFL in scoring for 2004.

For the second straight season, Harrison’s one hundred and thirty-eight tackles led all defensive backs in the league. Harrison started all 16 regular-season games for the sixth time in his career.

 In Super Bowl XXXIX, Harrison recorded seven tackles, a sack, and two interceptions of quarterback Donovan McNabb.

With only ten seconds remaining in the game, the second interception preserved a 24–21 Patriot win.

Thereby, Rodney made sure to bag a third championship title in four years. Harrison also got into a verbal feud with Philadelphia Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

2005-2008 season

Harrison tore his left knee ligaments in September 2005, ending his season. He returned to practice for the first time on 7 August 2006.

In 2007, Harrison was suspended for four games for using human growth hormone. In 2008, the star tore his right knee and shoulder. 

During Super Bowl XLII, he was the player whom David Tyree made his famous Helmet Catch over, leading the New York Giants to victory 17–14 and sadly handing the Patriots their first loss of the year, preventing a perfect season.

Unfortunately, Harrison later admitted to using HGH, calling it “a black cloud over my career,” and even went onto say,

I kept a foreign substance in my body and don’t know the long-term effects”

Furthermore, he also received HGH’s shipment with his name on it just a day before Super Bowl XXXVIII in February 2004.

The NFL star confessed to using such substances to speed up his healing process and not gain any competitive edge. 

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Rodney Harrison: Retirement

On 3 June 2009, Harrison announced his retirement from football to become an analyst at NBC Sports Football Night in America.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shortly after calling Harrison one of the best players he’d ever coached.

Rodney Harrison: Hall Of Fame

Patriots fans voted Rodney into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Harrison was the team captain for all of his six seasons in New England. Most importantly, he helped the Patriots win consecutive Super Bowls.

Harrison holds the NFL record for sacks by any defensive back (30.5). As a result, Harrison is one of only two players in league history with 30 sacks and 30 interceptions in his career.  

Patriots offensive tackle Leon Gray was also inducted into the hall of fame with Harrison in May 2019, the team says. Initially, the actual date for the induction ceremony had not been disclosed.

The nomination and selection process includes a panel of media, alumni, and staff and is voted on by the fans, making the Patriots the lone NFL team to allow their fans and supporters to decide who’s selected for the club’s highest honor.

This year’s finalists included defensive lineman Richard Seymour along with linebacker Mike Vrabel.

Rodney Has A Dangerous Reputation On The Field

Harrison was even voted the “dirtiest player” in the NFL by his peers in 2004 and 2006. In 2008, NFL coaches awarded the title to Harrison in an anonymous poll conducted by ESPN.

Harrison has racked up over $200,000 in fines by the NFL.

Rodney Harrison: Achievements & Records

• Harrison also became the first player in NFL history to score touchdowns in the same season on an interception return, a fumble return, and a kickoff return in 1997.
• He has the most sacks in NFL history (30.5) of any defensive back.
• Career Super Bowl Tackles leader of all time (33)
• He’d had four interceptions in the 2004-05 playoffs in three games.
• His seven interceptions of the playoffs (including one returned for a touchdown) are records for the Patriots team.
• He became the initial member of the players’ club 30/30 on 21 October 2007, with both 30 interceptions and 30 sacks. He is joined by linebacker Ray Lewis from Baltimore Ravens.
• Rodney Harrison is also voted by the fans as the 29th person to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Rodney Harrison: Career Stats

Rodney Harrison’s Relationship & Marriage

Currently, Rodney lives happily with his wife and children. He’s married to his beloved wife, Erika Harrison. Like Rodney, Erika also attended Western Illinois University, where the couple first met.

Rodney followed Erika at the college, and he joked with her once and told her the class had ended. She believed him and wasn’t present at the pop quiz.

Because of that, Erika was marked on the hit list for her action for several days. The incident brought together Rodney and Erika gradually, and they soon began dating.

The pair has four kids named Mikala Harrison, Christian Harrison, and Rodney Harrison Jr. There are what so ever, no records of his other relationships aside from these. Also, there are currently no rumors about their divorce.

Rodney Harrison: Net-Worth

As an American footballer Rodney Harrison has amassed significant wealth. His NFL career earnings are reported at $28,290,000, playing 15 seasons from 1994 through 2008.

He is currently the analyst for NBC Sports’ Football Night in America since he retired.

Rodney earned $13.73 million during his time with the Chargers, including his endorsements and bonuses.

He later joined the New England Patriots on 13 March 2003, with a $14.95 million six-year contract, including a $2.5 million signing bonus and an average $2.49 million salary.

According to some reliable online sources, sports analysts in the US make an average salary of $78,200 per annum. Rodney’s net worth in 2019 amounts to around $11.5 million, and his salary is around $1.5 million.

His annual salary as a player in 2008 has been reported at around $3 million. He’s been fined on suspension several times. The retired NFL safety owns a lovely house in Fields Olympia.

Rodney Harrison: Social Media

Harrison is active on some media platforms, but not all; however, he seems pretty busy on Twitter. We can find many posts on him with his hashtags.

A lot of people talk about him on social media. Hopefully, he will be on Instagram and Facebook as well. Refer to the link below to remain connected with Rodney:

Twitter: 194.8k followers

Some FAQs

What is the Jersey Number of Rodney?

Rodney wears the Jersey Number 37.

When and Why did Harrison retire from his Career?

Harrison retired from his career On June 3, 2009. He retired from his football career to become an analyst for NBC Sports Football Night in America.

What happened to Rodney?

Rodney suffered from torn ligaments in his left ligaments in the year 2005. Due to the injury, he was even placed on the injury list.

Which Position did Harrison Play for?

Harrison plays for the Safety position.