The Pittsburgh Steelers have a historic franchise built on dynamic, game-breaking defenses and playing with grit. Few players in modern Steelers lore check off all those boxes as James Harrison did. Whether it was breaking the Steelers' franchise sack record or making one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history, Harrison has quite the set of accolades attributed to his name. The great former linebacker broke down his incredibly effective pass rush, including who he learned from.
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Former Steelers linebacker, James Harrison (92).
Steelers' James Harrison Explains His Process
Harrison joined Cam Heyward on the Not Just Football podcast on Wednesday to go over the state of the 2023 Steelers. The subject quickly turned to the franchise sack record that Harrison set in 2018 and TJ Watt broke against the Cleveland Browns early in the 2023 season. Harrison had a drive unlike many other players in the NFL, something that drove him to constantly improve his game and never settle for less. Through this intensity, he put together a pass rush that confused and frustrated offensive lines for years.
Heyward wasn't going to let Harrison off the podcast without taking a moment to go through just what made his pass rush moves the killers they were. Harrison, giving that all-knowing smile that terrified defenses, happily obliged. Harrison began by going through the more technical aspects of his moves, including what he would look for from the defenses. As it turns out, Harrison's style wasn't simply violence and passion combining on the field; there was a detailed set of things that were going on to ensure that he would have defensive success.
"What I'm looking for is them to shoot their hands. So, either on my third step, I'm gonna take that foot, press it into the ground, and just turn my head and shoulders into you [the blocker] if you don't give me that hand, and just bull-rush you. I may do that for a whole half, just to get you set and heavy. So now you're thinking, oh snap, on that third step, he about to bull me."
Harrison would use his intense strength to set the lineman up, just waiting for the hands to come up and give them away. We all remember watching Harrison bull-rush through and over people during his career, and as it turns out, that was simply setting them up for what was his signature move; the twist.
The set-up came to fruition whenever that lineman had enough of Harrison's bull-rushes and put their hands up to combat the move. That was exactly what Harrison wanted because the moment those hands went up, he said he would slap one of their hands down with his as he rushed. As he did that, with the other hand, Harrison would reach up and grab the lineman's tricep. So fluid that many of us never noticed, Harrison, while still holding the blocker's tricep, used his free hand to grab their wrist and hold tight.
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Steelers' James Harrison was known as one of the most intense defenders of his time.
At this point, Harrison has a firm grip on the blocker's tricep and wrist, and that is when the twist would happen. He would literally begin to twist the wrist, forcing the blocker to move with the motion to avoid the pain that came from the twisted wrist. That was all he needed to use their own momentum against them and swing them around him, and he was home free.
Eric Fisher, a former top draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, remembers specifically how he felt like Harrison was going to break his arm off, which Harrison said was the exact point. He wanted to give the blocker a choice, hold the block or save your arm.
Steelers Great Kevin Greene Taught Harrison The Bull-Rush
Heyward asked Harrison where he learned how to use the bull-rush to set up the blockers as well as the nasty twist technique that was so effective. Harrison laughed and had his answer ready.
"Dude, it was just, I was short!"
After some chuckles, Harrison continued and explained that he actually learned the bull-rush move from another legendary Steelers defender, Kevin Greene. Harrison learned that he needed to make his speed rush and his bull-rush look similar to each other so the blockers wouldn't be able to discern which one he was about to use.
"You know who taught me speed bull? Kevin Greene. My whole thing, he said, you have to have a speed to bull-rush. Speed to bull. He said, your speed and your bull gotta look the same."
Harrison did have to make some modifications to Greene's move simply because there was a height difference. If Harrison missed his slap or didn't get the wrist held right, the blocker's arms were usually long enough to battle him off. It was all about precision and setting the blocker up for exactly what Harrison was planning next.
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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison learned his brilliant bull-rush from Kevin Greene.
The career that Harrison put together is something that is considered prized Pittsburgh history, something we are all watching happen again before our eyes with Watt. If 2023 is going to be a successful one for the Steelers, they will need another award-producing year from Watt, just like Harrison did for the Steelers teams he played on.
What is your favorite James Harrison memory? Comment below!
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