First Posted: 3/22/2015
PITTSBURGH — So much for retirement. Again.
Five-time Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 36-year-old Harrison signed a two-year deal with the team on Sunday following a productive 2014 in which he had 5½ sacks after being lured out of a brief 18-day retirement.
Harrison tweeted “I’m back” while posting a picture of him signing the deal to Twitter.
The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year began a training program when the offseason began and was weighing another run in Pittsburgh or joining former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau in Tennessee.
The signing gives the Steelers needed depth at outside linebacker after Jason Worilds abruptly retired at 27 two weeks ago rather than try and land a massive payday.
Harrison joins Jarvis Jones as the only players with more than nominal NFL experience at the position on the roster, though the team figures to grab at least one more edge pass rusher in the draft.
The timing also gives Harrison months to prepare for a 13th NFL season. He admitted it took him a handful of games to get into proper shape when he rejoined the Steelers last September.
Once he found his legs, however, Harrison showed flashes of the man who was among the league’s most feared players during his prime. He had two sacks in consecutive games in victories over Indianapolis and Baltimore at midseason.
Harrison, who turns 37 in May, is second in Pittsburgh history with 69½ sacks. His 17 multi-sack games are a team record.
LCC selling state hoops tickets
Tickets for Lima Central Catholic’s Division III boys basketball state semifinal against Dayton Chaminade-Julienne will go on sale at the school’s business office this morning. The state semifinals is set for 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Ohio State’s Value City Arena.
Endowed season ticket holders may begin purchasing tickets at 10 a.m. and sales to the general public will start at noon.
Parkway’s Stachler headed to UNOH
Parkway’s Amanda Stachler will sign her national letter of intent for bowling to the University of Northwestern Ohio at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the school’s community room.
South Side Spartans win two titles
CHARLESTON, West Virginia — Lima South Side Spartans boxers Jordan Vogt and Jerry Denson both won championships in a recent tournament at Charleston, West Virginia.
Vogt won in the 101-pound junior division. Denson won in the 85-pound junior division.
Lima’s Kenyen Rettig, Cisco Cruz and Jihad Reeder lost their matches.
Miami gets a No. 1 seed in NCAA hockey
Minnesota State has received the top seed for the NCAA men’s hockey tournament, followed by North Dakota, Boston University and Miami of Ohio as the other No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.
The NCAA unveiled Sunday the 16-team field, which included six teams from the eight-team National Collegiate Hockey Conference and just one from the Big Ten.
Minnesota State won the Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament and regular-season title to finish 29-7-3 and make the NCAA tournament for a third straight year.
