Steelers' James Harrison's Early Struggle Didn't Deter Dick LeBeau: "He Got A Little Smarter; Interacting With Teammates"

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, James Harrison is one of the most infamous players in franchise history. This is partly because of his remarkable success story. He was undrafted and cut from multiple teams before finally finding his footing in Pittsburgh. 

Harrison credits his former Defensive Coordinator, Dick LeBeau, as a significant influence. LeBeau had also been in Pittsburgh before and had heard that the Steelers kept cutting Harrison, but his instincts and abilities won him over. 

In his new book, Legendary, LeBeau discusses how Harrison became the player who ran back a 100-yard interception in Super Bowl XLIII. LeBeau said Harrison struggled to find his place in the locker room. His teammates weren't sure what to make of him, shared LeBeau. 

During Harrison's first season in 2002, a former first-round draft pick named James Farrior was also in Pittsburgh trying to salvage his career. Farrior had more experience and polish than Harrison and tried to help him. LeBeau recalled a story Farrior told about Harrison quickly giving up. 

"One play in practice, he didn't really know what he was doing and he just stopped in the middle of the play and was like, 'I can't do this s***! Y'all get me out of here,'" said Farrior. "I was like, 'What the h*** are you doing? If you don't do anything else, just go full speed and hit something. They'll coach you up, but they want to see effort.'"

It wasn't just Farrior who was telling stories about Harrison. The scouts talked about how erratic he was. They felt his actions showed that he didn't take this seriously and didn't want to be there.

Harrison was cut three times by Pittsburgh and once by the Baltimore Ravens. LeBeau said teammate Brett Keisel shared that no one knew what to make of him those few times. 

"He would be in weight room and telling people that this machine was his and that this machine was his. I was like, 'Dude, this guy's crazy,'" said Brett Keisel.

When Harrison got that final shot in 2004, he told everyone it was his last go at professional football. If he hadn't made the team that year, he would have just gone to get a "regular job, like everyone else." 

LeBeau recognizes that he and former Linebacker Coach, Keith Butler significantly impacted Harrison. This young player, who had seemed uncoachable before, seemed to thrive under their tutelage. 

"I kept singing his praises," wrote LeBeau. "I also think Harrison would say he had learned some things about fitting in with his teammates a little better. I think he learned that what he had been doing wasn't working, and he got a little smarter in terms of interacting with teammates and more of a team guy and getting with the program a little bit more. That made it easier to argue for him."

Harrison was known throughout the league as a bit of a villain; he talks now about how their goal, during a very different time in the NFL, was to put opponents "to sleep." As we had already seen, he didn't adapt quickly, so he was frequently fined and penalized. 

He truly defined smashmouth football, helping the Steelers win two Super Bowls. In 2008, he was named the NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year and is still the only undrafted free agent to win it. He was also named to five Pro Bowls. 

Steelers' Dick LeBeau Helped Groom James Harrison

It is not surprising that Harrison wrote a forward for LeBeau's book; after all, he credits the legendary coach with his very existence. He said that LeBeau and Butler understood him as no other linebacker coach had. They took the time to work with him and help him learn the complicated playbook. 

He said he didn't feel cut down by LeBeau when he made mistakes. The way he respectfully coached his players made them all want to play better and not let him down. LeBeau treated everyone the same; it didn't matter to him if the player was a first-round selection or an undrafted free agent; they were all football players. 

Are you surprised that LeBeau had such a huge influence on Harrison? Click to comment below. 

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