Harrison ascendant

Harrison has death grip on defensive award

Linebacker James Harrison, the best player on the NFL's best defense, won The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award.

The announcement was made Monday.

Harrison, whose career-high 16 sacks set a team record, also led the NFL with a career-high seven forced fumbles. He beat Dallas' DeMarcus Ware in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcaster. Pittsburgh's latest version of the Steel Curtain was the league's stingiest in total defense, pass defense and points allowed.

Harrison earned 22 votes to 13 for Ware.

Congrats to the scariest man in football, perennial holding victim, and strip sack super-God James "Deebo/Silverback" Harrison. He is the fifth Steelers to win the award following in the footsteps of Mean Joe Greene (1974), Mel Blount (1975), Jack Lambert (1976) and Rod Woodson (1993). LB James Farrior placed second in 2004. According to NFL.com Harrison got 22, Ware 13, Ed Reed got 8, Albert Haynesworth got 5, and Steeler Safety Troy Polamalu got 2. Harrison also picked up 3 MVP votes last week and zero votes for Longsnapper of the Year.

Well done, now go eat Philip Rivers raw on Sunday.