PITTSBURGH -- T.J. Watt remembers steering clear of fellow outside linebacker James Harrison in the locker room in the first few months after being selected No. 30 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017.
By that point, Harrison had 13 years of NFL experience, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, five Pro Bowl selections and a 100-yard pick-six in Super Bowl XLIII. Though he was in the twilight of a prolific career, Harrison was already an all-time franchise great -- and an all-time intimidator.
"Just the sheer dominance," Watt said of what makes Harrison such an intimidating player. "I mean, you turn on the film and the guy's literally tossing people and just the amount of effort that he plays with."
As a rookie, Watt didn't want to make waves in the locker room or within the position group as he acclimated to the NFL. Harrison wasn't tossing his own teammates around, but Watt wasn't going to chance it.
"He was definitely a guy I was trying to stay away from and not upset or not rub the wrong way," Watt said. "But over time you realize that we're just going to cohabitate and try to learn from each other, and it was more me learning from him as opposed to the other way around, for sure."
As Harrison gets inducted into the Steelers' Ring of Honor in a ceremony Saturday night followed by an on-field presentation during Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watt, who surpassed Harrison's 80.5 franchise sack record earlier this season in half the time, is furthering the the franchise's legacy of fierce outside linebackers -- and he's taken over Harrison's grizzled veteran role within the locker room and position group.
Through six games, Watt is second in the NFL with eight sacks, and against the L.A. Rams, Watt grabbed his first interception of the season and seventh of his career. Although, unlike Harrison's pick-six off the Arizona Cardinals' Kurt Warner in the Super Bowl, Watt was supposed to drop back in coverage, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said.
"Man, it'd be easier to talk about their differences," coach Mike Tomlin said of Harrison and Watt Tuesday. "... Those two dudes have a commitment to preparation and the development of their games and the maintenance of their bodies and the preparation of their bodies. That is unique."
From Harrison, Watt learned techniques that have contributed to his dominance as a pass rusher, earning him a Defensive Player of the Year nod of his own in 2021.
"Just the six-technique stuff alone is huge for me as a smaller edge defender compared to him in size and how well he was able to dominate tight ends and tackles just everything kind of in the run game, first and foremost is what I learned from him," Watt said. "And obviously his pass rush repertoire, too, and just in clutch moments, he was always able to find ways to close out the game."
Harrison appeared in only five games during Watt's rookie season, playing just 40 snaps, but Watt remembers him showing up in the biggest moments, like recording a sack against the Kansas City Chiefs to seal a 19-13 win.
"He was a killer on the edge," Austin said. "I mean he just manhandled folks. I got to see that up close and personal when I was at Baltimore [as an assistant coach from 2011-13]. ... He was so strong. He's a heck of a rusher in terms of leverage, so obviously he's an unbelievable player."
Austin said Harrison and Watt operate differently, but have an equal impact on the game. Turns out, their attitudes and personalities are pretty similar, too.
"I tell my wife all the time, 'This is a normal guy,'" Watt said. "I feel like there's just a warming up period that you have to have with him. And I think I'm kind of the same way as well. So I've definitely learned from him and respect him a lot."
Watt can pinpoint the day his relationship with Harrison shifted: Oct. 20, 2017.
The pair, along with their teammates, were at Stage AE in Pittsburgh's North Shore for the Steelers' annual charity fashion show when Harrison noticed Watt's face turning red and ballooning.
Watt, who has a severe nut allergy, accidentally ate something that triggered an allergic reaction, and Harrison sprung into action.
"He saw my face blowing up, and he was like, 'We need to take you in right now,'" Watt told ESPN this week, recounting that night. "And we walked right past the ambulances and everything. It's as stupid as it sounds. We got in his car, and we were going about 90-100 mph to McGee Hospital." Harrison pulled right up to the Emergency Department and parked in front of the doors even as security guards told him he wasn't allowed to leave his car there.
"He's like, 'I don't care what you tell me. I'm not doing that. We need to get him in to see somebody,'" Watt said.
With Harrison leading the way, Watt quickly got triaged and into a room where the pair spent the next three or four hours. They ordered food and hung out in the emergency room as Watt received medication to mitigate his reaction and get his breathing under control.
"He did a great job of making sure I was well taken care of," Watt said. "That experience alone kind of bonded us together and had a cool moment of, 'OK, this guy is a normal guy. He's just looking out for me,' and I'll remember that."