"Are you kidding me?" - Former Patriots star Rodney Harrison shocked by Hall of Fame snub
The 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists were announced this week and Rodney Harrison was nowhere to be seen on the list. The former New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers star was on the semifinalists list last year, only to fall off this time around.
He recently made comments about the perceived snub and it makes sense why he is not happy at all.
Rodney Harrison via @MerloniFauria on not being named Pro Hall of Fame semifinalist: “Just imagine some of the things that have gone across my mind, selfishly speaking, looking at the guys that they chose in front of me and saying, ‘Are you kidding me?’" (1 of 2)
Harrison kept it classy by not naming any names or calling out players he thinks he is better than. Still, he has a great point after being a semifinalist a year ago.
Former Patriots star Rodney Harrison's Hall of Fame resume
Harrison played in the NFL from 1994-2008 and was a two-time champion with the Patriots. He also made three All-Pro teams in his career and was named to two Pro Bowls as well.
Harrison has 34 career interceptions and 30.5 sacks, but also had a reputation as a dirty player. Could that be hurting his case all these years later?
That is entirely possible with the way voting goes for Hall of Fame candidates in all professional sports. Harrison is clearly upset, but did mention the fact he has won multiple Super Bowl rings.
That should mean a lot more to him, and to any player for that matter. Winning a championship is the ultimate goal and no one can ever take away those memories.
Harrison: "I know a whole bunch of Hall of Famers, but I am never trading in my Super Bowl rings for a Hall of Fame jacket." (2 of 2)
The tricky thing with Harrison's Hall of Fame case is the difficulty of just looking at the stats for defensive players who did not set any NFL records. It's not like he holds the all-time interception record or had 20 sacks in a season from the secondary.
He was simply a talented, consistent player who made those three All-Pro teams. But is that enough without something to make him stand out even more?
That may be where voters get caught up when determining the entire list of semifinalists. Someone like Harrison may get bumped in favor of a player who is newer to the process with the same fringe Hall of Fame resume.
Harrison falling off the list in 2021 is not a great sign for his future candidacy. But as he said, he can rest easy knowing he is an NFL champion and part of one of the greatest dynasties the game has ever seen.