Steelers Legend James Harrison Struck So Much Fear Into Rob Gronkowski It Forced The Tight End To Play A Unique Way

The Pittsburgh Steelers are typically known throughout the NFL for the stifling and fear-inducing defenses that they have had over the years. Many of the best defenders in NFL history suited up for the Black and Gold, and that includes former outside linebacker, James Harrison. Harrison is most known for his touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII, along with his tantalizing hits on ball-carriers. He was the most ruthless defender of his time in the league, and many former players have interesting stories of going up against him.

Harrison left quite the legacy behind in Pittsburgh. He won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award at the end of the 2008 season, and he probably would have won Super Bowl MVP had it not been for Santonio Holmes' late-game heroics. The former outside linebacker was impressive on the stat sheet, but the intimidation and fear he struck into opponents can't be quantified. 

Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski spoke about Harrison on the most recent episode of their new podcast, Dudes On Dudes. The concept of the podcast is that the two former New England Patriots discuss current or former NFL players, and then give that player a label based on their discussion. Gronkowski spoke about having to block Harrison in the running and passing game, where he used a unique strategy.

"So therefore, when I'm blocking him, he's a guy where you kind of just want to get in his way," Gronkowski explained. "I'm not going to come off the ball and crush his skull, I'm not trying to do that. Because if I piss him off, you know if I hit him hard and I trigger him, man, I'm going to tell you, he is going to pick me up and throw me the next play. So I never wanted to trigger him, I always just tried to get in his way."

Very few players could take on Harrison and win, so Gronkowski never really had to worry about hitting Harrison too hard. The tight end did make a conscious effort not to make Harrison any angrier than he already was, because Harrison would take out all of that extra aggression on Gronkowski throughout the rest of the contest.

Gronkowski and Harrison had many battles over the years, but the two actually became teammates near the end of Harrison's career. Near the end of the 2017 season, Harrison was released by Pittsburgh after being a healthy scratch for the majority of the year, and he then signed a one-year deal with New England. Harrison made an immediate impact in New England as he recorded two sacks and a forced fumble in his debut. He would make Super Bowl LII with the Patriots, where they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Steelers' James Harrison Has Used His Intimidation In Retirement

Harrison officially retired from the NFL following the 2017 season, and since then, he has taken on a career in acting. The former Defensive Player of the Year first graced the screen in an appearance in the show Swat, and he has since secured a role in the show Heels, which is set in the world of wrestling. Harrison plays a character named Apocalypse, which represents Harrison well. 

In the end, Gronkowski and Edelman agreed that Harrison was one of the scarier players of their time. They labeled the former Steelers player a "freak" due to his physical abilities and the fear he struck into his opponents. Harrison was considered so scary that it was one of the reasons he couldn't succeed after joining the Cincinnati Bengals. Dick Lebeau stated in an interview that Harrison thought everyone was too scared of him in Cincinnati.

What do you think about Gronkowski's unique approach when lining up across from Harrison? Can you think of any other player that was that terrifying in the NFL? Let us know in the comments below!

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