Rodney Harrison, who grew up in Markham and attended Marian Catholic H.S. in Chicago Heights, is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. | New England Patriots
Rodney Harrison, who grew up in Markham and attended Marian Catholic H.S. in Chicago Heights, is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. | New England Patriots
Rodney Harrison, a native of Markham who graduated from Chicago Heights' Marian Catholic H.S. in 1991, has been nominated as a semifinalist for induction next year into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Last week, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 24 semifinalists, including Harrison, for its class to be inducted on Aug. 3, 2025.
After Harrison's NFL career spanned 15 years. He played safety for the San Diego Chargers from 1994 - 2002 and for the New England Patriots from 2003 - 2008.
Harrison was named first-team NFL All-Pro twice and participated in four Super Bowls, winning two with the Patriots. He is the NFL's all-time leader in sacks by a defensive back, with 30 1/2, and is the only NFL defensive back with 30 sacks and 30 interceptions in league history.
Harrison was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall-of-Fame in 2019.
Harrison, 51, starred in football and basketball at Marian Catholic from 1987 - 1991. In football, he had six interceptions and 51 tackles during his senior season, earning Chicago Tribune First Team All-State, Chicago Heights Star Player of the Year and East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year honors.
He played at Western Illinois University from 1991-1993,
Harrison currently lives in Atlanta with his wife and four children. He works as commentator for NBC's Football Night in America. His son, Christian, plays football for University of Tennessee.
Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists are selected by the Hall of Fame's 50-member Selection Committee. It includes one media representative from every city with a pro football team and two members from New York, which has two teams, as well as a representative from the Pro Football Writers of America and 17 at-large delegates.
The Chicago media representative is former Sun-Times beat writer Dan Pompei, currently a senior writer with The Athletic.
Any NFL player or coach who has been retired for five full seasons is eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Selection Committee will vote to trim the semifinalist list down to 15 finalists early next year, before settling on its inductees in February.
Harrison was a Pro Football Hall-of-Fame finalist in 2024.
This is Harrison's fourth time as a Pro Football Hall-of-Fame semifinalist. He was also named as a semifinalist in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame, opened in 1963, has 378 members, including 1990 Bloom Township graduate Bryant Young (inducted 2022).
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