FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Former
Western Illinois Football All-American Rodney
Harrison received another prestigious award from his playing career.
Harrison was voted to the New England Patriots 2000s All-Decade Team, one of 27
Patriots selected during the franchise's most successful decade.
The Patriots' All-Decade Team was selected by the New
England Patriots Hall of Fame Nomination Committee, a 22-person panel made up
of reporters, alumni and staff. Players selected to the team represent a
combined 37 Pro Bowl appearances and all but four of the members won a Super
Bowl.
Harrison, who lettered for the Leathernecks from 1991-93, played in New England
from 2003-08 and played a key role in the Patriots' back-to-back Super Bowl
victories (XXXVIII and XXXIX).
One of two safeties on the All-Decade Team, Harrison played in 63 games during
his New England career. A two-time Pro Bowler, he signed with the Patriots as a
free agent after a nine-year career in San Diego.
Currently a member of NBC's Sunday Night NFL studio show
"Football Night in America", Harrison left the game as the only player in NFL
history to record 30 sacks and 30 interceptions in his career. He ended his
career as the NFL's all-time leader in sacks by a defensive back.
Harrison set a Leatherneck career record of
345 tackles (by a defensive back) and single-game standard making 28 tackles in
a game (Oct. 30, 1993 at Western Kentucky). He led Western in tackles his
senior year with 148. Harrison was a Second Team All-America selection in 1992
and the following season was named First Team All-America by five different
organizations. Last summer he was one of 12 Leathernecks selected to the
Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Select NFL team.
