For six seasons, Rodney Harrison made his mark wreaking havoc in the Patriots secondary while helping guide the Patriots to back-to-back Super Bowl titles and a 16-0 regular season. After being voted by Patriots fans as the 29th member of the team's Hall of Fame, Harrison will take his place among the team's all-time greats along with former left tackle Leon Gray, who dominated the left side as one of the team's all-time great offensive lineman.
While Gray was elected by The Hall's Senior Selection Committee and will be enshrined posthumously, Harrison will return to Foxborough to be inducted in front of the fans that elected him at a free-to-the-public July 29, 2019 ceremony at 4:30 PM in the Patriot Place Plaza adjacent to the Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon. The induction ceremony will also be streamed online on Patriots.com.
"I'm very grateful for the fans," Harrison said. "The fact that the fans voted me in, it means more to me than say the Pro Football Hall of Fame because the fans got a chance to see me play every week. They got a chance to see the story and see the injuries and the adversity and the comeback and the plays that were made and the passion that was shown. They're not going by reputation or rumors or anything like that, so it really meant a lot to me."
We take a look back at the career of Patriots safety Rodney Harrison (2003-2008), who was voted by fans as the 2019 inductee for the Patriots Hall of Fame.
![JACKSONVILLE, FL - FEBRUARY 06: Rodney Harrison #37 of the New England Patriots celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium on February 6, 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/v1555345319/patriots/wzhtzprp3gypjbmsoqf4.jpg)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - FEBRUARY 06: Rodney Harrison #37 of the New England Patriots celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium on February 6, 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21.
![HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 1: Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, who injured his arm in the victory, is in tears as the confetti swarms around him after the Patriots victory. New England Patriots face the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX on Feb. 1, 2004. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/chkiowlwhmt3tgtpvwp3.jpg)
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 1: Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, who injured his arm in the victory, is in tears as the confetti swarms around him after the Patriots victory. New England Patriots face the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX on Feb. 1, 2004. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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![New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC Championship Game.
Photo by: KEITH NORDSTROM
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1/23/05](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/vctccopbhzgoephfe5do.jpg)
New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC Championship Game.
Photo by: KEITH NORDSTROM Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1/23/05
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![New England Patriot Rodney Harrison in action at Giillettte Stadium during a game against the Oakland Raiders in Foxboro, Mass. on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005.
2005 NFL Kickoff - Oakland Raiders vs New England Patriots - September 8, 2005
Gillette Stadium
Foxboro, Massachusetts United States
September 8, 2005
Photo by Jim Rogash/WireImage.com
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+1 212-686-8900 (tel)
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New England Patriot Rodney Harrison in action at Giillettte Stadium during a game against the Oakland Raiders in Foxboro, Mass. on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005. 2005 NFL Kickoff - Oakland Raiders vs New England Patriots - September 8, 2005
Gillette Stadium Foxboro, Massachusetts United States September 8, 2005 Photo by Jim Rogash/WireImage.com
To license this image (5867875), contact WireImage: +1 212-686-8900 (tel) +1 212-686-8901 (fax) info@wireimage.com (e-mail) www.wireimage.com (web site)
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![Patriots safety Rodney Harrison in action against the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC championship game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2004, in Foxboro, Mass. The New England Patriots take on the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004 in Houston. (AP Photo/Jim Rogash)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/xqbgiwjbv8jhqhywxr6m.jpg)
Patriots safety Rodney Harrison in action against the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC championship game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2004, in Foxboro, Mass. The New England Patriots take on the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004 in Houston. (AP Photo/Jim Rogash)
![New England Patriots' Rodney Harrison returns an interception 87 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, Jan. 23, 2005, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/mefbjqiembhubwavli91.jpg)
New England Patriots' Rodney Harrison returns an interception 87 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, Jan. 23, 2005, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
![New England Patriots' Rodney Harrison runs downfield during New England's 34-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in a football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/pyirvobsrcmgfsyhfhdq.jpg)
New England Patriots' Rodney Harrison runs downfield during New England's 34-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in a football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
![New England Patriots Rodney Harrison plays against the Philadelphia Eagles in SUPERBOWL XXXIX at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL. The Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/mpvqwymqhvd94afhsdlu.jpg)
New England Patriots Rodney Harrison plays against the Philadelphia Eagles in SUPERBOWL XXXIX at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL. The Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21.
![New England Patriots Rodney Harrison leaps in the air on an attempted interception during the NFL Super Bowl XXXIX football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6, 2005. The Patriots won 24-21. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/zlhqhwwduayixx0wnxih.jpg)
New England Patriots Rodney Harrison leaps in the air on an attempted interception during the NFL Super Bowl XXXIX football game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6, 2005. The Patriots won 24-21. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
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Harrison is the seventh player from those 2003-2004 back-to-back championship teams to be selected into the Patriots Hall of Fame, joining Troy Brown (2012), Tedy Bruschi (2013), Ty Law (2014), Willie McGinest (2015), Kevin Faulk (2016) and Matt Light (2018).
Harrison played the final six seasons of his 15-year NFL career with the Patriots after spending his first nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers. He played a key role in helping those two Super Bowl titles. Harrison came up big on the biggest stage, with seven interceptions in nine postseason games with the Patriots, including two in Super Bowl XXXIX over the Philadelphia Eagles. His seven postseason interceptions are tied for the third-most in NFL postseason history, and his four picks in the 2004 playoffs are tied for the third-most in a single postseason.
In his first two seasons in New England, Harrison was not only the Patriots leading tackler each year, but he also led all NFL defensive backs in tackles both seasons. He set a career-high with 140 tackles in 2003, followed by a 138-tackle performance in 2004. Additionally, he was the leading tackler in the 2003 and 2004 postseasons, while also recording two sacks, six interceptions, seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles in the six games leading to New England's back-to-back Super Bowl championships. He is the all-time leader in sacks by a defensive back with 30 1/2, including nine during his time with the Patriots. He is the only defensive back in NFL history with 30 sacks and 30 interceptions, with eight of those picks coming during his Patriots career. Harrison was voted a team captain in each of his six seasons with the Patriots.
Harrison also had a knack for coming up with interceptions at crucial times. In the 2004 regular season and playoffs, five of his six interceptions came inside the opponent's 20-yard line with four of those picks coming inside the 4-yard line and two of them coming in the end zone. His only 2004 interception that did not come inside the 20-yard line was a fourth-quarter interception in Super Bowl XXXIX that ended Philadelphia's last drive to clinch the championship.
Gray was a third-round draft pick in 1973 by the Miami Dolphins as an offensive tackle out of Jackson State. He was cut by Miami before the start of the season and claimed off waivers by New England. By the 1976 season, he was viewed as arguably the best left tackle in the game. He was a key member of an offensive line that allowed a franchise-low 14 sacks in 1977. Gray teamed with Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah to form what is generally considered one of the best guard/tackle tandems in NFL history. At the end of the 1976 season, Gray was selected to play in the Pro Bowl – the first of two such honors as a Patriot and the first of four trips to the Pro Bowl during his 11-year NFL career.
In 1976, Gray helped power a Patriots rushing game that averaged 210.6 yards per game (which remains a franchise record) and led the Patriots to their first 11-win season in franchise history. In 1978, Gray once again paved the way as the Patriots surpassed their season rushing record with 3,165 yards, an NFL record that still stands 41 years later. Gray was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly and the PFWA. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the second time. After six seasons with the Patriots, Gray finished his career with Houston (1979-81) and New Orleans (1982-83). Sadly, Gray died in November of 2001 at the age of 49.