Editing Rodney Harrison (section)

===New England Patriots===

====2003====
Following the [[2002 NFL season|2002]] season, on February 27, 2003, Harrison was released by the Chargers. Two weeks later, on March 13, Harrison landed with the Patriots, signing a six-year deal. At the time, the Patriots had both Harrison and fellow Pro Bowl safety [[Lawyer Milloy]] under contract. Throughout the offseason, though, the Patriots and Milloy were involved in contract negotiations, with the Patriots requesting Milloy take a pay cut or be released. Milloy did not comply, and on September 2, he was released.

Prior to the [[2003 New England Patriots season|2003 season]], Harrison was named a defensive captain in his first year with the Patriots by the coaching staff after Lawyer Milloy was released.

On January 10, 2004, in the [[NFL playoffs, 2003-04|divisional playoff]] game against the [[Tennessee Titans]], he intercepted [[Steve McNair]], which set up [[Antowain Smith]]'s touchdown, as New England would hold on for a 17–14 win. In the [[AFC Championship Game]] the next week against the [[Indianapolis Colts]], Harrison intercepted [[Peyton Manning]] in the end zone and forced a [[Marvin Harrison]] fumble, recovered by teammate [[Tyrone Poole]]. Harrison then went on to help the [[New England Patriots]] win their second title in three years, against the [[Carolina Panthers]] in [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]], 32–29. He fractured his right arm late in the game, but a [[Tom Brady]]-led drive and [[Adam Vinatieri]] field goal secured the Patriots' victory. In his 10th year in the league, Harrison earned his first Super Bowl ring.

Harrison was also named to the Associated Press' All-Pro team following a 140-tackle (a 2003 NFL best for a [[defensive back]]) and three-sack season in which he started all 16 regular season games.

====2004====
The [[2004 New England Patriots season|2004 season]] produced a similar performance. Harrison helped New England's defense finish second in the NFL in scoring for 2004. For the second straight season, Harrison's 138 tackles led all defensive backs in the NFL. Harrison also started all sixteen regular season games for the sixth time in his career, holding together a Patriots secondary that was without [[Ty Law]] and Tyrone Poole for the majority of the season.

In the Patriots' [[NFL playoffs, 2004-05|divisional playoff]] game against the [[Indianapolis Colts|Colts]], Harrison intercepted [[Peyton Manning]] late in the game to end the Colts' last chance. The next week in the AFC Championship, Harrison jumped a [[Ben Roethlisberger]] pass and took it 87 yards for a touchdown, helping the Patriots defeat the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], 41–27. During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Harrison got into a verbal feud with [[Philadelphia Eagles]] receiver [[Freddie Mitchell]] after Mitchell claimed he "had something for Harrison" and did not know the names of the New England secondary.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50007-2005Jan30.html|title=Patriots Have a Name for Eagles' Mitchell: 'Jerk'|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|first=Leonard|last=Shapiro|date=January 31, 2005|access-date=April 24, 2007}}</ref> Harrison, in [[Super Bowl XXXIX]], would record seven tackles, a sack, and two interceptions of quarterback [[Donovan McNabb]], despite missing almost an entire quarter due to an injury sustained during the game. The second interception, with ten seconds remaining in the game, preserved a 24–21 Patriot win, ensuring a third championship in four years.

====2005–2008====
The [[2005 New England Patriots season|2005 season]] began a string of multiple injuries for the 12th-year safety, with Harrison's season coming to an end on September 25 against the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], when he was hit in the knee by a falling [[Cedrick Wilson Sr.|Cedrick Wilson]] and tore the [[Anterior cruciate ligament|anterior cruciate]], [[Medial collateral ligament|medial collateral]], and [[posterior cruciate ligament]]s in his left knee. Harrison was subsequently placed on the [[injured reserve]] list, ending his season.

[[File:Rodney Harrison.jpg|thumb|right|Harrison in 2006]]

Slightly over 10 months after his season-ending injury, Harrison returned to Patriots' practice for the first time on August 7, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2006/08/harrison_too.html|title=Harrison too|work=Boston.com Reiss' Pieces|first=Mike|last=Reiss|date=August 7, 2006|access-date=April 24, 2007}}</ref> After sporadic playing time in the preseason, Harrison started the first seven of the Patriots' games in [[2006 New England Patriots season|2006]], totaling 23 tackles and one sack. However, while making a tackle on Marvin Harrison against the Colts on November 5, Rodney Harrison injured his right shoulder and missed the next six weeks of the season. He returned to the Patriots in week 16, but his season was ended the following week in Tennessee after a low block from [[Bobby Wade]] injured his right knee.

Harrison was suspended for the first four games of the 2007 regular season for admitting to federal investigators that he knowingly obtained and used [[growth hormone|human growth hormone]] (HGH).<ref name="ESPN">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2999994|title=Pats' Harrison to be suspended 4 games for alleged HGH violation|work=[[ESPN.com]]|date=September 2, 2007|access-date=August 31, 2007}}</ref> Harrison stated to the media that he used "a banned substance" for "accelerating the healing process from injuries [he] sustained playing football," and "never to gain a competitive edge."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/?p=1527|title=Harrison statement|work=[[Boston Herald]].com The Point After Blog|date=August 31, 2007|access-date=August 31, 2007}}</ref> In addition, according to federal agents and Harrison himself, Harrison received a shipment of HGH, with his name on it, just days before [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]] in February 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3028236|title=Harrison report|work=[[ESPN.com]]|date=September 20, 2007|access-date=September 17, 2007}}</ref> Later, he expressed regret over his decision to use the substance calling it "a black cloud over my career." "I played 15 years and that doesn't feel good. That's embarrassing...It wasn't smart. I put a foreign substance in my body and don't know the long-term effects," he said on ''[[Football Night in America]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadspin.com/rodney-harrison-hgh-will-make-you-rich-and-famous-and-1749880828|title=Rodney Harrison: HGH Will Make You Rich And Famous And Kids Shouldn't Use It|first=Tim|last=Marchman|date=December 28, 2015 |publisher=Gizmodo Media Group |website=Deadspin |location=New York |access-date=December 2, 2018}}</ref>

In Super Bowl XLII, which concluded the 2007 season, Rodney Harrison was the player over whom [[David Tyree]] made his famous [[Helmet Catch]], leading the [[New York Giants]] to victory 17–14 and handing the Patriots their first loss of the year, preventing a perfect season.  In the play, a long forward third down pass by [[Eli Manning]] over midfield, Harrison was both attempting to block reception and tackle at the same time.  Interestingly, Harrison was able to disengage one of Tyree's hands from the ball, but not both.

Harrison's [[2008 New England Patriots season|2008]] season ended early when, in an October 20 game against the [[Denver Broncos]], Harrison tore his right [[quadriceps femoris muscle]] on a play, was carted off the field, and placed on injured reserve.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2008/10/spann_promoted.html|title=Spann promoted|work=Boston.com Reiss' Pieces|first=Mike|last=Reiss|date=October 22, 2008|access-date=October 22, 2008}}</ref>