Rodney and Hall of Fame

More than likely Rodney will make the hall of fame. One thing that will help his cause is being an analyst for NBC now will make him some people and allow him to present himself a little bit better.

My question is does he go into the HOF as a Pat or Charger?

Its simply too early to talk about the HOF for players like Harrison. Each generation has very few "locks" such as Brady, Manning, and Tony Gonzalez. Many more very good players need time to reflect their careers. Football is a very difficult sport to HOF analyze- it is so much dependent on team play on EVERY play. Subtle greatness is not always captured by the cameras.

I suspect Harrison will make it to the HOF one day. He was a valued member on both teams he played for (SD and NE); both went to the SB during his reign as a starting safety. He has decent numbers indicating his game was multi-faceted. But most of all, Rodney was always one of the team leaders, indicating his respect by his peers on very good to great teams. Put together, you have a HOF player. Time will tell just when.

I will miss him as a player for the Patriots. His spirit will be hard to replace.

No question he's a HOF. The only thing that will keep him out is him being so hated. He was the best D man during the last two SB.

No doubt he is a Hall of Famer. A complete safety who striked fear in opposing players. OLD SCHOOL FOOTBALL is what we seen with Rodney and not a dirty player, just played very physical. I Know there are about 7 safeties in the HOF but Rodney should be there with John Lynch. In a few years...POLAMALU AND REED will be there to join them.....

I take it you don't listen to PFW in Progress or read Patriots.com Mike. ;)

I would love to see Rodney get in. But you know what?...in the long run I don't really care. Nothing will take away from his career or what he did for the Patriots. The Hall of Fame is like "American Idol" or "Dancing with the Stars".....people (WHO NEVER PLAYED THE GAME) sit on a panel and cast their votes.....I know what I saw, Harrison will go down as one of the best of all-time in my book....good enough for me.

The only valid criticism under the not-so-good heading is the first. Named to only 2 pro bowls? Seriously, voters who consider pro bowls as criteria for anything should have their voting credentials stripped immediately. Some people thought he was dirty? So? That's irrelevant as the pro bowls invitations. The only guy in recent history I'd put ahead of Rodney is Ronnie Lott. He deserves to go into the Hall.

I think his upcoming career as a TV analyst will help his chance of getting into the HOF. His job will enable him to become buddies with the voting writers, that would put him over somebody who retired to open up a moving company, for instance. That said, his pro football career itself had been quite impressive also.

Pro Bowls are going to hurt a lot of Patriots players. There simply isn't much self promotion that lends itself to getting the fan vote. At least during the NE years, he also had the disadvantage of being in the AFC with contemporaries like Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Bob Sanders and John Lynch. Only 2 players get the knod. Harrison was most certainly robbed in 2003 and 2004. If he was more popular, he may've been able to get a few more based on his name, not play, like John Lynch in Denver. He went from Pro Bowl to being cut by NE in less than 6 months. True Pro Bowlers would never fall out of the league that fast.

Personally I think he has an uphill battle like Art Monk. It's going to take a few years and a lot of convincing to get him in. I hope whoever is presenting for him is able to make a compelling case for his enshrinement. He had some really good years, and he has the talent, but he was also injured or suspended his last 4 years in NE. I'm hoping his ability to take his game to another level in the playoffs can push him over the edge.

Dorian -

Unlike Cooperstown, when players are elected to Canton they don't go in as a member of any particular team. Under the bust of the player at the PFHOF, all of the teams which a player played for are listed.

I would call him a bubble player much like Ty Law. You could make a case for both based on their time in the league but I see neither of them being a first time selection. I liken him more to Bruschi, Vrabel and McGinest. Guys who were plus players for long periods of time and the kind of guys you win with.

Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu are the main guys right now and Shawn Taylor would have made it as a player if he had lived. Rodney didn't change the outcome of games like these guys do/did.

He is not a shoe-in. He is not a probable. I honestly believe he will struggle getting in based on two glaring stains on his record. PED's and only 2 pro bowls. The pro bowl thing is a joke and a terrible reflection of talent, but getting busted for illegals hurts him badly. On top of that he is one of the most hated players by opposing fans. I think that pushes him into the just miss category, maybe the last year of eligibility. I agree with mynameisbob when he says that the tv analyst will help him out, especially if he doesn't hold back and maintains his well spoken personality. He is one of my favorite players and the last of the true enforcers. I hope he does but i'm not holding my breathe.

I don't think Rodney (or John Lynch) has a shot unless Steve Atwater gets in first. Atwater has similar numbers, played a similar smash-mouth style, and has 2 rings. Harrison played longer, but A) he has the PED issue, and B) he is, as the repeat winner of the NFL's dirtiest player balloting, clearly not well-liked. Probably none of the above are getting in.

And so what? Football is played with a football on a football field on Sundays, not with words at a podium 5 years after you retire. The '00s Patriots teams were full of great, great football players - Troy Brown, Teddy Bruschi, Willie Mac, Ty Law, Rodney - who won't get into Canton without buying a ticket like the rest of us. I wouldn't trade them for anybody, and I certainly wouldn't trade a Super Bowl win to have any or all of them inducted on the first ballot. They don't need to wait around for some committee of know-nothing sportswriters to decide that they were great football players on a great football team. That was already decided: see February of 2002, 2004, and 2005. They are great already.

rob says:

"Rodney didn't change the outcome of games like (Reed, Polamalu, Taylor) do/did.)"

Did you watch SB 39, when he had two picks and could have easily been named MVP? How about the 2004 AFC Championship when his pick-6 essentially ended the game before halftime? Or SB 38, when he made a tackle with a broken arm on Carolina's final drive? Or even the 2003 AFC Championship, when his pick of Manning in the end zone on the first drive set the tone for the game (the one we all remember for Ty Law's 3 picks off Manning)?

Come to think of it, Polamalu is the only one of those three who has come close to making as many game changing plays in big games as Harrison. Taylor never even appeared in a Super Bowl, and Reed still hasn't even appeared in a Super Bowl.

HOF for Rodney or Lynch???
Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu have offenses game plan around them.
They will be in HOF.
Rodney was great but not HOF
Great point on Steve Atwater

Ronnie Lott is a Hall of fame DB. In my humble opinion, Harrison is not.
Old school? Absolutely. Quintessential? No.

One thing about Harrision that will always stand out: he played to the whistle.
And that's football, baby.