Players Support Rodney, By: John Tomase
Sept. 4, 2007
FOXBORO - The Patriots who chose to address Rodney Harrison’s suspension yesterday made one thing abundantly clear: They are standing by their man.
Harrison was suspended for the first four games of the season after admitting to commissioner Roger Goodell that he violated the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. His name was presented to the league by the Albany (N.Y.) District Attorney’s office as part of an investigation into the trafficking of human growth hormone.
“All I can say about the Rodney situation is that we love him, care about him, and hope everything goes well for him,” said safety James Sanders, who likely will replace Harrison in the starting lineup when the Patriots visit the New York Jets for Sunday’s season opener. “Other than that, I’ll let you talk to Rodney and Bill about that situation. I’ve talked to Rodney, and I’m going to take everything else he’s taught me and use it on the field whenever I get the opportunity.”
One player declining comment was linebacker Mike Vrabel, who has taken a tough stance on steroids in the past. During the 2005 draft, he was part of ESPN’s coverage and ripped San Diego Chargers first-round pick Luis Castillo, a defensive lineman from Northwestern who admitted using steroids to recover from an injury - the same explanation Harrison offered for using a banned substance.
“It sends a terrible message,” Vrabel said at the time. “(Castillo’s) a cheat. He cheated and got rewarded for it.”
Vrabel was not asked about the quote yesterday, which came to light after locker room access closed. An attempt to reach him through the team failed.
Harrison’s misstep creates a vexing situation in the locker room, where he’s considered one of the most vocal team leaders, but now is also an admitted cheater. The 34-year-old said he took the drugs to speed his recovery from a series of injuries.
Whatever the reason, he’s ineligible to play in the first four games of the season. Quarterback Tom Brady said the team will miss Harrison on the field.
“I think everybody wishes that he were playing, but that’s not the case,” Brady said. “He’s dealing with it and the team’s dealing with it, and we’ve got to find a way to move past it. Anytime you miss a good player like that it strains other parts of the team, but hopefully we have enough good players to make up for it.”
Coach Bill Belichick deflected a myriad of Harrison questions, referring instead to the player’s statement Friday, when he admitted his guilt and apologized to the team.
“Rodney’s situation came up last week,” Belichick said. “Of course this is unfortunate. I thought that his statement and his comments were pretty thorough. I thought he said as much about it and covered it pretty thoroughly, so I don’t really have anything else to add to that. Obviously it’s unfortunate, and we’ll see him when he gets back in four weeks.”
Belichick was asked if Harrison’s admission taints the reputation of an organization that has prided itself on winning as a team and winning the right way.
“We’re going to continue to do what we feel like is best for this football team and best for the organization,” he said. “Going forward, nothing has changed. Nothing has changed in the way we approach things or the way we do things.”
The locker room was fairly relaxed yesterday, if ever so slightly on edge. Players dealt with the Harrison questions while trying to go about their business.
Linebacker Junior Seau, a teammate of Harrison’s in San Diego, expressed support for his friend and the slightest bit of annoyance at having to discuss the situation.
“We all love Rodney and just hope everything goes well for him,” Seau said. “As for right now, we’re going to deal with the players in the locker room. Any other questions?”
