Former Steelers linebacker James Harris is coming to Ben Roethlisberger’s defense after the retired quarterback was heavily criticized by Joey Porter Sr. last week.
Porter said on Cam Heyward’s podcast that it was Roethlisberger that “broke the brotherhood” of the Steelers that won Super Bowl XL.
But, speaking on his podcast “Deebo & Joe” with Joe Haden, Harrison said “I do not think Ben is a bad teammate, because I have a good relationship with Ben.”
Harrison added that with the way Porter spoke, it was him that “broke the brotherhood bro, more than we did.”
During Heyward’s podcast Porter was critical of Roethlisberger suggesting that it might’ve been time for Mike Tomlin to move on from the Steelers (this was before Tomlin stepped down).
Porter then went on to call Roethlisberger a bad teammate and that he wasn’t a good person.
“As me and Joey talked and like I said, we talked at length, I hung up on my boy,” said Harrison adding that Porter made his personal feelings about Ben public.
Speaking to Haden, Harrison admitted that Roethlisberger “could be an ass****,” especially after his early success.
“But over time he has matured and grown up and you don’t value you the same things that you did at 23 that you do at 30,” said Harrison.
Harrison said that things did happen in the locker room, but it wasn’t anything the team couldn’t get through together.
Harrison also explained the difference between his and Roethlisberger’s criticism of Tomlin and Porter’s word was they were talking about Tomlin’s coaching and Porter was making his attack personal.