Harrison Named NFL Defensive Player Of The Year
1/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
NEW YORK - From undrafted free agent to NFL Defensive Player of the Year. An idea for a Hollywood script? Not quite, as that's exactly what former Kent State standout James Harrison has accomplished after earning the coveted honor Monday from the Associated Press.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker garnered 22 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters to easily outdistance runner-up DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys, who received 13 votes. Baltimore's Ed Reed was third with eight votes.
A native of Akron, Harrison led the NFL with seven forced fumbles while recording a career-high and team-record 16.0 sacks to rank fourth in the league. The fifth Steelers player to garner the award from the AP, he finished the regular season with 101 tackles (67 solo), an interception and a safety.
The Steelers host the San Diego Chargers Sunday (Jan. 11) in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh won the AFC North with a 12-4 record.
Harrison joins former Kent State All-American and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert, who was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 1976 as part of the vaunted “Steel Curtain” defense. Miami (4) and Florida State (2) are the only other schools to have more than one honoree since the award was first handed out in 1971.
A standout on the Flashes defense from 1999-01, Harrison ranks fourth in school history with 15.0 sacks while his 42 tackles for loss stand fifth. Harrison led KSU with 106 tackles in 2000 and went on to record 12.0 sacks the next year - the second-best total in school history.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker garnered 22 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters to easily outdistance runner-up DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys, who received 13 votes. Baltimore's Ed Reed was third with eight votes.
A native of Akron, Harrison led the NFL with seven forced fumbles while recording a career-high and team-record 16.0 sacks to rank fourth in the league. The fifth Steelers player to garner the award from the AP, he finished the regular season with 101 tackles (67 solo), an interception and a safety.
The Steelers host the San Diego Chargers Sunday (Jan. 11) in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh won the AFC North with a 12-4 record.
Harrison joins former Kent State All-American and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert, who was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 1976 as part of the vaunted “Steel Curtain” defense. Miami (4) and Florida State (2) are the only other schools to have more than one honoree since the award was first handed out in 1971.
A standout on the Flashes defense from 1999-01, Harrison ranks fourth in school history with 15.0 sacks while his 42 tackles for loss stand fifth. Harrison led KSU with 106 tackles in 2000 and went on to record 12.0 sacks the next year - the second-best total in school history.
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