Bill Belichick lauds Rodney Harrison as best safety he has coached

Former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was named a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist earlier this week. His former coach, Bill Belichick, had high praise for him on Friday afternoon.

Harrison had a stellar career with the Patriots. In six seasons with the team, he recorded 446 tackles and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2003. He also helped the team win two Super Bowls.

Belichick was not shy on praise for Harrison on Friday, as his team gets set to take on the Buffalo Bills.

“Best safety I’ve ever coached. There’s a couple other ones that I’ve coached that are in the Hall of Fame. Fantastic player, person, great competitor. Could do it all, one of the most versatile players I’ve ever coached. He could cover, he really could play corner.  He was a great blitzer, he was a great tackler. He was really, really hard to block.”

Harrison was an integral part of the Patriots defense for six years, before hanging up the cleats following the 2008 season. Now, he will get a chance to be part of more than just Patriots history.

The Patriots currently have 11 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Harrison will have the opportunity to be the 12th entry in 2024.

Story originally appeared on Patriots Wire