(AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was named a modern day finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday. On Friday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked his thoughts about Harrison being a finalist and Belichick glowingly talked about Harrison as a person and as a player.

”Everything. Best safety I’ve coached. There’s a couple other ones I’ve coached that are in the Hall of Fame. Fantastic player, person and 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. A great tackler. He was really hard to block in the running game, as a blitzer and on kickoff coverage.”

Belichick signed Harrison as a free agent from the San Diego Chargers in 2003 after Harrison spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Chargers. Harrison was already an established player around the league and while his reputation was not the greatest, Belichick banked on Harrison’s ability to change the game in a myriad of ways.

The addition of Harrison changed the way the Patriots started defining and using their safeties. Belichick went from utilizing free and strong safeties to two safeties that have similar skill sets and can play in multiple alignments.

From there, the Patriots eventually began using a third safety in some of their sub packages and the rest is history.

All of this is because of Harrison and his versatility. Harrison played at all three levels of the Patriots defense. He could play over the top as a free safety, cover down down as a buzz safety against tight ends and running backs in zone coverage and he could play as a box safety in an eight man front. Harrison’s versatility is a big reason why he ended with 34 interceptions and 30.5 sacks in his career. He could truly do it all.

Belichick talked about how he not only changed the Patriots system but the position of strong safety as a whole.

”Very explosive. Two-hundred twenty pounds, whatever he was. He was a thumper. He was a contact player. Ran well. Very instinctive. He did a great job of disguising coverages. Worked well with his teammates, you know, with Eugene [Wilson II] and some of the different safeties we had back there through his career. He’s just a heck of a football player.”

Harrison’s reputation as a ferocious hitter and his deposition did not endear him to opponents and teammates alike. He was known to take out opponents in games and teammates in practice. Belichick raved about him as a practice player.

”Great practice player, too. Made everybody else on the team better. If you practiced against him, you got better or you got embarrassed, one of the two. He brought a level of competitiveness, intensity, focus. Brought a higher level of practice to the team, which helped everybody.”

Belichick took it a step further, proclaiming Harrison as the best safety he has ever coached and one of the top players he has ever coached. He listed among Lawrence Taylor, Tom Brady, Gronk and Matt Slater as the best players he has coached.

”He’s just a heck of a football player. He’s one of the best I’ve ever coached. I mean, he’d certainly be on my all-time team without question. Behind [Lawrence] Taylor, but he’d certainly be right up there. A tremendous player.”

High praise for a player who was a 5th round pick out of Western Illinois. A player who redefined the safety position and how safeties are used. A player who deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.