The mere mention of Joey Harrington conjures up a lot of emotion for many Detroit Lions fans. None of those emotions are positive, either. The team’s first-round draft pick out of Oregon in 2002 never worked out as Detroit’s anointed franchise quarterback. He was unpopular with both fans and teammates during his four Lions seasons.
In an interview with Bill Dow of the Detroit Free Press, Harrington covers a lot of ground from his depressing days with the Lions. He opens up about being a wide-eyed youngster on a veteran team, unready for the jump from college at both a football and personal level.
Harrington candidly notes his teammates didn’t like him and the feeling was largely mutual, something he stressed to newly hired head coach Rod Marinelli,
I said ‘that’s great, but you to need to know that I will play for you and Matt Millen because I respect both of you, but except for a couple of teammates, the rest of them can all go to hell.’
After that conversation with the new coach led to a trade to Miami, Harrington got his chance at redemption. He clearly savors the victory over his old team on Thanksgiving in 2006.
“I am grateful that Detroit gave me the opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the league and they paid me well, but beating the Lions on Thanksgiving Day proved to me that I could dig myself out of a hole and play well as an NFL quarterback,” Harrington proudly states.
Harrington didn’t have many positive moments in his career, but beating the Lions is the “Piano Man’s” high point.
