James Harrison

James Harrison made a name for himself in the NFL for his hardcore playing style. To this day, he’s the only undrafted free agent to have been named “NFL Defensive Player of the Year.” Growing up, Harrison and his family could have never guessed that he would have such a successful career as a professional athlete.

In fact, Harrison’s mom didn’t even want him to play football. He was passionate about the sport in high school and eventually convinced his mom to let him play. Imagine if she hadn’t, though! Harrison is the youngest of fourteen kids, so we know his mom was just looking out for him. Every parent wants their kid to have a successful career, and professional football isn’t the easiest line of work to break into.