You Think You Know Someone

I am probably in the majority when I say that I’ve always considered Marvin Harrison a stand-up guy who is unlike most football players with his quiet nature and calm personality. Watching him dominate defensive backs and catch spirals from Peyton Manning without the slightest change of emotion has made Harrison an enigma to most who expect him to act like many other NFL superstars do. However, Harrison stays on his own wavelength, playing like a Hall of Famer while voluntarily being overshadowed by some of his better-known teammates. Players that “make it rain” in the club like Pac-Man Jones, or murder their wives like Rae Carruth wouldn’t usually be associated with Harrison, the greatest wide receiver in Colts history and one of four players ever with 1000 receptions. But, maybe they belong in the same breath now.

The mysterious shooting that took place on April 29, right outside Harrison’s bar in Philadelphia has left a cloud of doubt around the eight-time All Pro. Tests conducted by police have confirmed that Harrison owns a gun matching the bullets that were found at the scene of the crime, a weapon that Harrison insists he always keeps at home. The story turned out to be factitious when the gun was retrieved at a car wash that Harrison owns, less than a mile from the club where a fight broke out between Harrison and the victim. With his usually mild demeanor, it’s hard to picture the Colts wide receiver having any reason to be forced to carry a gun, or even have a heated argument that could turn dangerous.

The NFL’s off the field image has gotten a black eye, thanks to guys like Jones and Michael Vick, who have shown little remorse to the league that has given them so much. The last thing the league needs now is for one of its most revered, yet misunderstood players to start committing felonies like he plays for the Bengals. Marvin Harrison has worked hard to steer clear of the limelight, despite his position as one of the game’s most accomplished and talented wide receivers. When approached by the media, Harrison remains quiet and unassuming, reluctant to steal the buzz from Manning. Interviewers aren’t given a whole lot to work when they do manage to get a quote or two from Harrison, who remains emotionless during the postgame.

Now he’s thrown himself into the limelight for an entirely different reason, and this time he won’t be able to politely decline the interview. Instead, Harrison will be interrogated, forced to give up details of what’s going on in that secret life he’s living. Staying away from the media has given Harrison an air of the unknown. During the offseason, his name is never heard; he doesn’t attend games, public functions, or surround himself in trade rumors. Between February and August, Harrison is a ghost.

Once reports started to spread about this shooting and this Belgian gun of Harrison’s, it was hard to accept. Never before had this man given the public any reason to believe that he would be capable of such despicable behavior in his detached life. Marvin always seemed like a guy who worked out intensely and spent time with his family during the offseason. It was hard to picture this man, so reserved and flawless on Sundays, in a scene where he lost his composure and actually grew angry to the point where he needed a gun.

On the flip side, all of these reports incriminating Harrison could be false, and I hope they are. Only time will tell, and as more information becomes available, and Harrison actually speaks, a final judgment can be made. Until then, Marvin Harrison remains a mystery, an ultra-talented and withdrawn football player who is now in a could of doubt over an action that is way out of character.