6 best Steelers free agent signings under Kevin Colbert

James Harrison

If not for another linebacker cracking a few fingers in a weightlifting gaffe hours before the Steelers’ 2004 training camp opened, Kevin Colbert’s best find might have instead been tending to sick pets or hauling freight across state lines.

Being let go four times had taken its toll on James Harrison. An unsuccessful, miserable layover with the Rhein Fire of the now-defunct NFL Europe almost convinced the Steelers’ future all-time sack leader that rushing quarterbacks wasn’t for him. Then came, in the literal sense, a big break.

Harrison went to camp with a heap of flashcards. In the evenings, he sprawled out on a mattress, poring over his playbook and handwritten notes. He finally stuck on.

After Joey Porter was cut in 2007, Harrison showed out by notching three-and-a-half sacks, causing three fumbles, and intercepting a pass on Monday Night Football. Even sweeter was that the performance came against the team that once shipped him to Germany, the Baltimore Ravens.

The next season, James Harrison cemented his place in Pittsburgh history. With 101 tackles, a league-best seven forced fumbles, a team-record 16 sacks in a season, the man nicknamed “Deebo” was named 2008 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

His 100-yard interception return for a score in Super Bowl XLIII will always be recognized as one of the league’s most remarkable plays.

A two-time All-Pro, Harrison spent 14 seasons with the Steelers. His 177 regular-season games played in a Pittsburgh uniform are second only to David Little.