Why This Two-Time Super Bowl Champ Doesn't Think He Belongs in Hall of Fame

Former linebacker James Harrison is about to be inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor next month, after spending most of his NFL career with the team and helping them clinch two Super Bowl wins in 2006 and 2009. However, after the Pro Football Hall of Fame likewise announced earlier this summer that Harrison was one of 173 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2024, the 45-year-old doesn't seem to think he's worthy of the honor.

Although Harrison, a five-time Pro Bowl selection with 84.5 career sacks and 811 combined tackles, played in the NFL from 2002 through 2017, he only spent six seasons as a starter from 2007 to 2013. And as he explained to TMZ this week, that's where he believes he falls short.

"In my mind I don't believe that I am," Harrison responded, when asked if he feels like a Hall of Famer. "I believe I set a standard as a Steeler that I was able to hold up to that lore. As far as Hall of Famer, you know, it's a lot of things that goes into that. And I believe numbers is one of those things, you know? And when you look at my numbers, they just don't, for me, they don't equate to what the numbers should be."

"And then you have guys saying well, you know you only started six years," he continued. "Well, I still got to play a long tenure, where they're like, yeah, but you only got to start at six, if you would have had another, you know, six years starting things would have been different."

After it was pointed out that "a lot of people feel differently" about Harrison's potential Hall of Fame status, and that the attitude was extremely humble of him, he did admit that it would be cool if it did happen. Though, he's not counting on anything.

"It would be pretty cool if it was bestowed upon me, but for me, my goal was never to play professional football," Harrison explained. "My goal was, you know, once I got there, it wasn't to be a Hall of Fame player. But if all that happened and it was great, you know, my goal was to go on there and put what my dad gave me, which was my name... and make him proud, and I know I did that, so that's all that matters to me."

Yet, while he may have conflicting thoughts about the Hall of Fame, the FS1 football analyst is very excited about making it into the Steelers Hall of Honor, which was established back in August 2017 and currently boasts 53 inductees to date.

"To be put in a group of guys that are in that company right now, that Hall of Honor, that's a tremendous, tremendous honor," he added. "If I wouldn't get into the Hall of Fame, I'm in the Steelers Hall of Fame. That's good enough for me."

Humble, yes. But if nothing else, it all sounds par for the course and extremely on brand from the guy who once had his kids return their participation award trophies until they earned "real" ones.