Rodney Harrison

I was reading this article (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=fleming/081029&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab6pos1) about who is the dirtiest player in the NFL now that Rodney Harrison's career may be down the toilet. For those that didn't see it, Harrison crumpled over himself attempting to make a play, was on the ground for a long time and was then carted off the field with a splint for his entire leg, waving to the crowd as he headed down the tunnel. That is never a good sequence for a 35 year old, 100 mph player with more than a decade of smash mouth football under his helmet. He tore his right quadriceps muscle (ouch) and is now on injured reserve.

Harrison hasn't been without injury in the past, already recovering from tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in 2005, his shoulder (and subsequently his other knee) were injured in 2006, limiting his playing time. To start 2007, however, Harrison was suspended for four games stemming from his admittance to purchasing human growth hormone. Afterward, Harrison claimed it was "accelerating the healing process from injuries [he] sustained playing football," and "never to gain a competitive edge."If that is a sincere case, is he now being doubted to come back for fear of tarnishing what may still be a Hall of Fame career?

Harrison was written off by the Chargers 5 years ago when he was released before singing with the Patriots. Was his ability to come back from devastating injuries (three ligaments in one knee, a shoulder and another knee) less his heart than his, ahem, regimen? I have always like Harrison, he anchored a two time champion secondary for my favorite team, but never gave him a free pass for the HGH, regardless of his end game with them. Injuries are a part of the game and why should you have an easier return than the guy in the pool and in therapy for months working it out.

I would love to see Rodney back in the lineup, equal for his personality as for his talent, but not at the cost of having to devalue him any further for another positive HGH test.