Marvin Harrison
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13-year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft.
Harrison earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts 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 until it was broken by Michael Thomas in 2019. Harrison was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2026, and is widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.Early life
Harrison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended and played high school football at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia.College career
Harrison attended Syracuse University; he was a three-year starter for the football team, playing with quarterback Donovan McNabb in his final year. He was named as a captain for the 1995 season. In a game against West Virginia in the 1995 season, he had a 96-yard touchdown reception from Donovan McNabb. He was the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year in 1995. In the 1996 Gator Bowl, he had seven catches for 173 yards in a 41–0 win over Clemson. Harrison's 1,131 yards were a school record for a single season until Amba Etta-Tawo broke it in 2016. 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 and ranked second to Rob Moore in school history with 20 receiving touchdowns. He was named All-Big East in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Harrison graduated with a degree in retail management.Professional career
Harrison was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round as the 19th selection in the 1996 NFL draft, a selection which was obtained in a trade that sent Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons. 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.
file:Marvin Harrison in 2007 Training Camp 2.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Harrison with the Indianapolis Colts in 20071996
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. In Week 2 against the Jets, he had five punt returns for 102 yards and earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the 21–7 win. In Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had six receptions for 106 yards and touchdown in the 37–10 victory. In the following game, a 24–19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, he had six receptions for 103 yards and three touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Chiefs. He finished his rookie season with 64 receptions for 836 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 16 games and 15 starts as the Colts went 9–7. Among rookie wide receivers, he finished fourth in receiving yards, third in receptions, and tied for second in receiving touchdowns. In his playoff debut, Harrison had three receptions for 71 yards in a 42–14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round.1997
From Week 11 to Week 13, Harrison had a three-game streak of scoring a receiving touchdown. In the 1997 season, Harrison recorded 73 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns as the Colts went 3–13.1998
The 1998 NFL Draft had the arrival of Peyton Manning who became the franchise quarterback for the Colts. During their careers, Manning and Harrison were arguably one of the most productive quarterback-wide receiver duos in NFL history. In the Colts' 1998 regular season opener, Harrison had five receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown in a 24–15 loss to the Miami Dolphins. In Week 7, against the San Francisco 49ers, he had three receiving touchdowns in the 34–31 loss. In Week 11, against the New York Jets, he had nine receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown in the 24–23 victory. Harrison missed the Colts' final four regular season games after going on Injured Reserve. In the 1998 season, he had 59 receptions for 776 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games and starts as the Colts went 3–13.1999
In the 1999 season, Harrison had a breakout season. He started off the regular season with eight receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns in a 31–14 win over the Bills. In the following game, he had seven receptions for 105 yards and three touchdowns in a 31–28 loss to the Patriots. In the following game, he had 13 receptions for 196 yards and a touchdown in the 27–19 win over the Chargers. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September. In Week 7, against the Bengals, he had eight receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown in the 31–10 victory. From Week 13 to Week 16, he had four consecutive games with over 100 receiving yards, all wins for the Colts. He had 115 receptions for 1,663 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Colts went 13–3 and won the AFC East. He earned Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro honors.2000
Harrison started off the 2000 season with nine receptions for 115 yards in a 27–14 win over the Chiefs. In the following game, he had ten receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown in the 38–31 loss to the Raiders. In a Week 6 loss to the Patriots, he had 13 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 24–16 loss. In the following game, a 37–24 victory over the Seahawks, he had seven receptions for 134 yards. In the following game, a 30–23 victory over the Patriots, he had five receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns. In the regular season finale against the Vikings, Harrison had 12 receptions for 109 yards and three touchdowns in the 31–10 victory. In the 2000 season, he had a league-leading 102 receptions for 1,413 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Colts went 10–6. He was named to his second Pro Bowl for his performance in the 2000 season.2001
In Week 2 of the 2001 season, Harrison had seven receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns in the 42–26 win over the Bills. In Week 6, he had eight receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown in the 38–17 loss to the Patriots. In Week 9, he had nine receptions for 174 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to the Dolphins. In the Colts' regular season finale against the Broncos, he had nine receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the 29–10 victory. In the 2001 season, Harrison had 109 receptions for 1,524 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Colts went 6–10. He was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl for his performance in the 2001 season.2002
In Week 2 of the 2002 season, Harrison had 11 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown in the 21–13 loss to the Dolphins. In Week 5, he had nine receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Bengals. In Week 10, in a victory over the Eagles, he had six receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 11, he had 14 receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the 20–3 win over the Cowboys. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. In Week 15 against the Browns, he had nine receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the 28–23 victory. For his game against the Browns, he won AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In 2002, Harrison broke Herman Moore's single-season receptions record by 20 receptions. He finished the Colts' 10–6 season with 143 catches for a league-leading 1,722 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and earned first team All-Pro honors for the second time. Harrison receiving yardage marked the fourth most in NFL history for a single season at the time. The record stood until December 22, 2019, when Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints broke that record with 149. He finished runner-up to Priest Holmes for AP Offensive Player of the Year.2003
In Week 4 of the 2003 season, Harrison had six receptions for 158 yards and three touchdowns in the 55–21 win over the Saints. In the following game against the Buccaneers, he had 11 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the 38–35 win. In the game the Colts were down 35–14 in the fourth quarter. Harrison's second touchdown brought the deficit to seven points. For his game against the Buccaneers, he won AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In the 2003 season, Harrison recorded 94 receptions for 1,272 receiving yards and ten receiving touchdowns in 15 games and starts as the Colts went 12–4 and won the AFC South. He was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl. In the Colts' Wild Card Round victory over the Broncos, Harrison had seven receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns.2004
In Week 8 of the 2004 season, Harrison had five receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–35 loss to the Chiefs. In Week 12, in a win over the Lions, he had 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. In the 2004 season, he recorded 86 receptions for 1,113 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Colts went 12–4 and won the AFC South. He was named to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl.2005
In 2005, Harrison had five 100+ yard receiving games in a seven-game stretch late in the season. He finished the 2005 season with 82 receptions for 1,146 receiving yards and a league-leading 12 touchdowns in 15 games and starts as the Colts went 14–2 and won the AFC South. He was named to his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl in recognition of his 2005 season.