Marvin Harrison
refer to caption
Harrison in 2022
No. 88
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1972-08-25) August 25, 1972 (age 50)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:Roman Catholic
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College:Syracuse (1992–1995)
NFL Draft:1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:1,102
Receiving yards:14,580
Receiving touchdowns:128
Player stats at NFL.com

Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), much of it with quarterback Peyton Manning. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was drafted by Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft.

Harrison earned a Super Bowl ring with the team in Super Bowl XLI where they beat the Chicago Bears. An eight-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro member, he held the record for most receptions in a single season (143) until it was broken by Michael Thomas (149) in 2019. Harrison was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and is widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.

College career

Harrison attended Syracuse University, where he was a three-year starter for the Syracuse Orange football team, playing with quarterback Donovan McNabb in his final year.[1] Harrison set a school record with 2,718 career receiving yards, which stood until 2017, when it was broken by Steve Ishmael in the final game of his career. Harrison also returned 42 punts for 542 yards and two touchdowns[2] and ranked second to Rob Moore in school history with 20 receiving touchdowns. Harrison graduated with a degree in retail management.[3]

College statistics
Season Games Receiving
GP GS Rec Yds Avg TD
1992 10 0 2 13 6.5 0
1993 11 9 41 813 19.8 7
1994 10 10 36 761 21.1 5
1995 11 11 56 1,131 20.2 8
Total 42 30 135 2,718 20.1 20

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span Wonderlic
5 ft 11+78 in
(1.83 m)
181 lb
(82 kg)
30+34 in
(0.78 m)
9+34 in
(0.25 m)
19
All values from NFL Combine[4][5][6]

Harrison was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round as the 19th selection in the 1996 NFL Draft,[7] a selection which was obtained in a trade that sent Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons.[8] Harrison went on to become one of the most productive receivers from that draft class, which included Keyshawn Johnson, Eric Moulds, Bobby Engram, Muhsin Muhammad, Eddie Kennison, Terry Glenn, Amani Toomer, Joe Horn, and Terrell Owens among others.[7][9][10]

Harrison with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007.

Harrison made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 1996 NFL season against the Arizona Cardinals with six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown reception from quarterback Jim Harbaugh in the 20–13 victory.[11] In Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had six receptions for 106 yards and touchdown in the 37–10 victory.[12] In the following game, a 24–19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, he had six receptions for 103 yards and three touchdowns.[13] He finished his rookie season with 64 receptions for 836 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 16 games and 15 starts.[14]

In 2002, Harrison broke Herman Moore's single-season receptions record by 20 receptions. He finished with 143 catches, and he also had 1,722 yards receiving. That record stood until December 22, 2019, when Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints broke that record with 149.[15] In December 2006, Harrison became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 1,000 receptions, joining Jerry Rice (1,549), Cris Carter (1,101), and Tim Brown (1,094). He is also one of only seven wide receivers in NFL history to reach 100 touchdowns.

In 2005, Harrison had five 100+ yard receiving games in a seven-game stretch late in the season. During Week 15, he passed Isaac Bruce to become 10th in all-time career receiving yards, and also the leader among active players. He maintained this title for exactly two seasons, until Bruce retook the lead in Week 15 of 2007. Harrison had injured his knee against the Denver Broncos while attempting a block and was lost for the season, making only a small appearance in their lone playoff game that season. It marked only the second time Harrison had missed regular-season action due to injuries and the first since 1998.

On December 14, 2008, in a game against the Detroit Lions, Harrison caught his 1,095th career reception, passing Tim Brown for third all time. He passed Cris Carter to become second on the all-time NFL reception record list with 1,102 receptions during a 23–0 Colts victory over the Tennessee Titans on December 28, 2008.

Following the 2008 NFL season, Harrison asked for and was granted his release by the Colts.[16] After sitting out the entire 2009 season, Harrison quietly retired from the NFL.[17]

Harrison was inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor during the week 12 game against the Carolina Panthers on November 27, 2011.[18] He is widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.[19][20][21][22]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
1996 IND 16 15 64 836 13.1 41 8 3 15 5.0 15 0 1 1
1997 IND 16 15 73 866 11.9 44 6 2 -7 -3.5 0 0 2 0
1998 IND 12 12 59 776 13.2 61T 7 0 0
1999 IND 16 16 115 1,663 14.5 57T 12 1 4 4.0 4 0 2 1
2000 IND 16 16 102 1,413 13.9 78T 14 2 1
2001 IND 16 16 109 1,524 14.0 68 15 1 3 3.0 3 0 0 0
2002 IND 16 16 143 1,722 12.0 69 11 2 10 5.0 8 0 0 0
2003 IND 15 15 94 1,272 13.5 79T 10 1 3 3.0 3 0 2 2
2004 IND 16 16 86 1,113 12.9 59 15 1 1
2005 IND 15 15 82 1,146 14.0 80T 12 0 0
2006 IND 16 16 95 1,366 14.4 68T 12 1 1
2007 IND 5 5 20 247 12.4 42 1 0 0
2008 IND 15 15 60 636 10.6 67T 5 1 1
Total 190 188 1,102 14,580 13.2 80T 128 10 28 2.8 15 0 12 8

Postseason

Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
1996 IND 1 1 3 71 23.7 48 0 0 0
1999 IND 1 1 5 65 13.0 25 0 0 0
2000 IND 1 1 5 63 12.6 30 0 0 0
2002 IND 1 1 4 47 11.8 17 0 0 0
2003 IND 3 3 16 250 15.6 46 2 1 1
2004 IND 2 2 9 95 10.6 24 0 0 0
2005 IND 1 1 3 52 17.3 24 0 0 0
2006 IND 4 4 15 193 12.9 42 0 1 0
2007 IND 1 1 2 27 13.5 17 0 1 1
2008 IND 1 1 3 20 6.7 9 0 0 0
Total 16 16 65 883 13.6 48 2 3 2

NFL records

Personal life

Harrison was sued in a civil lawsuit by Dwight Dixon, a convicted drug dealer, after Dixon was shot outside Chuckie's Garage, a North Philadelphia business owned by Harrison, on April 29, 2008.[23][24] The two men had been in a fight minutes prior to the shooting over an issue that happened a few weeks earlier, when Dixon and Harrison got into a verbal argument when Harrison denied Dixon entry into Playmakers, a sports bar owned and operated by Harrison. Dixon alleged that Harrison was the gunman who shot at him. On January 6, 2009, Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham confirmed that the gun that fired shots at Dixon was the same model as Harrison's gun, but they had been unable to determine who pulled the trigger.[25]

Abraham also stated that she was not going to pursue charges in this case due to conflicting witness statements. In fact, within a week of the first shooting, Marvin Harrison was not considered a suspect.[26] Dixon, who had initially given the police a false name and claimed he was robbed by two men when interviewed at the hospital,[27] was subsequently convicted of filing a false report for this incident on January 28, 2009. Dixon was sentenced to 6 months probation. Dixon's attorney reportedly sought a new trial as the conviction violated Dixon's parole in an unrelated case.[28] Harrison was also sued by Robert Nixon, a victim caught in the crossfire of the shooting who identified Harrison as the shooter in a statement to the police.[29]

Dixon died on July 21, 2009, after he was shot several times while in his car outside a building two blocks away from Harrison's sports bar. At the hospital after the shooting, detectives questioned Dixon before surgery and he stated that it stemmed from the Harrison incident a year prior and that Harrison had hired a gunman to shoot him. An informant also made a statement asserting the gunman that killed Dixon was Lonnie Harrison, Marvin Harrison's cousin. On June 16, 2010, Shaun Assael of ESPN The Magazine reported that the police confiscated a 9mm handgun from Harrison during a routine traffic stop on Wednesday in Philadelphia. They tested the gun to see if it matched three spent 9mm shell casings that ended up inside the truck driven by Dwight Dixon at the scene of an April 2008 shooting. Dixon, who eventually was shot and killed after filing a civil lawsuit, claimed that the casings came from a second gun that Harrison fired. Authorities already have matched other bullets to a separate gun that Harrison owns—and that he stated was in his home on the day the shooting occurred. They found the gun during a search of Harrison's Escalade. The stop occurred as Harrison drove the vehicle the wrong way on a one-way street. Harrison claimed he did not have a gun. But the police believed they saw Harrison put what appeared to be a weapon in the console between the two front seats. They concluded that they had probable cause to search the vehicle and they found the gun, but Harrison was not charged.[30] Another incident occurred in 2014 when Harrison narrowly escaped a Philadelphia shooting.[31]

Harrison's son, Marvin Harrison Jr., plays college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.[32]

References

  1. ^ Ites, Andrew (June 4, 2018). "Former Colts WR Marvin Harrison Named Finalist for College HOF". Horseshoe Heroes. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Mink, Nate (June 4, 2019). "Harrison on College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 2nd time". syracuse.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "Marvin Harrison: Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts". Colts.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2008.
  4. ^ "Marvin Harrison, Combine Results, WR - Syracuse". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  5. ^ "Inside NFL's Wonderlic Test - And Why It Matters". foxsports.com. April 12, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Marvin Harrison's Wonderlic Test Score". footballiqscore.com. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "1996 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  8. ^ Luciano, Michael (April 5, 2020). "Revisiting the Colts-Falcons Trade for Jeff George". 12up.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  9. ^ Lay, Ken (April 24, 2019). "1996 NFL Draft: The year of the receiver". Vols Wire. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  10. ^ Wesseling, Chris (November 14, 2014). "Rookie receiver class could rival '96 as NFL's best ever". NFL.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts - September 1st, 1996". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  12. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts - December 5th, 1996". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  13. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs - December 15th, 1996". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  14. ^ "Marvin Harrison 1996 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  15. ^ Triplett, Mike (December 22, 2019). "Saints' Thomas breaks Harrison's catches record". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  16. ^ "Colts end 13-year relationship, release Harrison". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 24, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  17. ^ MJD. "Peter King Twitters that Marvin Harrison is done - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  18. ^ "This site will soon be up and running". Indiana.sbnation.com. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  19. ^ Legwold, Jeff (February 7, 2016). "Brett Favre, Ken Stabler, Marvin Harrison among Hall's 2016 class". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  20. ^ Holder, Stephen (February 7, 2016). "Marvin Harrison's work ethic rewarded". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  21. ^ Harrison, Elliot. "Ten best receivers of all time". NFL.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  22. ^ Sando, Mike (March 26, 2008). "Sando: Start with Rice, Moss in best-ever WR debate". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  23. ^ Gambacorta, David (October 8, 2008). "Harrison sued over shooting". Philadelphia Daily News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2009.
  24. ^ "Civil Docket". Fjdefile.phila.gov. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  25. ^ Munson, Lester (January 6, 2009). "DA unable to press charges vs. Colts' Harrison". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  26. ^ Alesia, Mark. "Police: 'Harrison not suspect at this point'". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  27. ^ "Man shot by Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison's gun set for trial". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 27, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  28. ^ Slobodzian, Joseph A. (January 28, 2009). "Accuser of Colts' Harrison guilty of lying to police". Inquirer.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  29. ^ Asseal, Shaun (July 27, 2009). "Second man claims ex-Indianapolis Colts WR Marvin Harrison shot him". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  30. ^ Asseal, Shaun (January 15, 2010). "Sources: FBI joins probe of Marvin Harrison gun case". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  31. ^ Chappell, Mike (June 16, 2014). "Marvin Harrison upset he's getting negative attention for saving a life". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  32. ^ VanHaaren, Tom (October 31, 2019). "Ohio State gets commitment from Marvin Harrison Jr". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.