James Harrison Goes From 'Knucklehead' to $600,000 Massages
At 35-years-old, NFL line backer James Harrison knows the prices of trying to stay young. The player recently admitted to spend over half a million dollars on his attempts, although the lavish expense may be worth it in his case. After having a successful two years with the Pittsburg Steelers, Harrison was released by the team last year due to a budgeting dispute.
The Steelers were the first to pick Harrison up in 2002, where he spent most of his time on the practice squad bench. But much has changed since then. Now 35, Harrison was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2013 season on a $4.5 million contract.
"It's hard to tell who is more excited about the two-year deal the Bengals reached Friday with James Harrison: Head coach Marvin Lewis or his locker room," the Bengals wrote on their webpage last month. "Both have watched Harrison define the Steelers defensive dominance over the AFC North while pushing the Bengals around during the past decade."
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But Harrison is aging, and keeping up his stats at an older age after squandering off his first couple years in the NFL as a "knucklehead," according to his former teammate James Farrior, is not the easiest thing to do.
Nor is it the cheapest, Harrison revealed during a recent interview with reporters. The linebacker admitted that he spends anywhere from $400,000 to $600,000 a year on getting "bodywork" to improve his game, ESPN reported.
"You want to be able to stay in this business for awhile, you're gonna have to take care of your body," he said Tuesday. "If you want to do that, you're going to have to spend money, it's not cheap."
He told reporters that he owns a hyperbaric chamber, keeps six different masseuses on his payroll, and also has a homeopathic doctor, chiropractor and acupuncturist. Fortunately for him, Harrison can afford it thanks to his new deal.
