The Harrington Family Foundation

By Jason Vondersmith

As famous people go, NFL quarterbacks rank up there. You see them in TV ads, in newspapers and on magazine covers, and eventually they become broadcasters. The best of them make millions, and the heroes become icons, and their names live far beyond their careers. Plus, the fans think they own them.
   
It is Joey Harrington’s world now and, in some ways, it will only get worse.
   
“No, I’m never going to be comfortable with my fame,” the Detroit Lions QB says. “It’s tough for me to comprehend sometimes, because I don’t see myself in the light other people do.
 
“I can remember being a kid and watching John Elway and Dan Marino and Joe Montana and looking up to those guys … but some of the interactions I’ve had with even adults now, I don’t want to say it’s been creepy, but I’m just not comfortable with it.”
   
Harrington became bar-counter talk by leading Oregon to three bowl wins, becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist, going No. 3 to the Lions in the draft and signing a $36.5 million contract. Now, it appears the Portland native is becoming an accomplished NFL player.
   
Harrington completed 17 of 30 passes for 195 yards and threw four touchdown passes as Detroit beat Arizona 42-24 in its first game. He earned NFC offensive player of the week honors and only heightened already high expectations of the Lions in the Motor City.
   
On Sunday, Harrington will go against one of his heroes. Harrington nearly beat Green Bay’s Brett Favre in his first career start last season, then got shellacked on the road in the rematch at Lambeau Field. This will be his second shot in Favre’s house. Can you imagine the uproar in Lions land if Detroit wins? Harrington and first-year coach Steve Mariucci will be canonized.
   
“We knew that with coach Mariucci coming here we had a chance to be a lot better team,” says Harrington, who thinks the Arizona win last week “kind of validated some things for us.”
   
Mariucci likes Harrington, although he goes out of his way to quell any comparisons to Favre, retired San Francisco great Steve Young or current 49er signal-caller Jeff Garcia.
   
“I think he has taken a step,” Mariucci says of Harrington. “I liked Joey’s decision making (against Arizona). He had no sacks and no turnovers, and I don’t remember him forcing the ball into coverage. He spread the ball around to a bunch of different receivers.
   
“He’s evolving, and he’s going to have to play against tough defenses and a variety of coverages, in front of big crowds and in bad weather.”
 
Needing work, Harrington concentrated in the offseason on two things: mechanics and going through his “reads” of the defense.
   
“I did work on mechanics,” he says, “more ball placement than anything. My ball carriage was too low last year; I started reverting to old bad habits.
   
“And I learned the little details of the offense, like where all my checkdowns were. That’s what got me in trouble last year, because so many times my first and second (receiving) options weren’t open. It’s really a point of emphasis in this (West Coast) offense, which is built on short, quick passes.”
   
Harrington recharged in the offseason, staying home in Portland with his family. He took some time off in January and February, the highlight being attending the Super Bowl with his little brother, Nick, in tow. He took another month off before training camp started in late July, the highlight being … really, nothing, he says.
   
He speaks proudly of Nick, a team manager for the Oregon football team, and of brother Michael, who has earned the starting quarterback job at Idaho.
   
“I talk with Michael all the time,” he says. “He’s doing well. I think he could be a tremendous quarterback — he’s got a better arm than I do. And the reason Mikey’s playing is because of his leadership, which is a very important component.”
   
On personal time, Harrington doesn’t seek attention. Only a select few — people he trusts — get to know certain details of his life, such as where he lives in Oregon when he isn’t staying with his parents. “I just want my privacy,” he says.
   
Last year, two longtime buddies shared his condo in Detroit. This year, he is living alone. He speaks of harassment in Detroit — late-night phone calls from strangers and unsolicited mail. Everybody seemingly wants a piece of Joey.

“I don’t see myself any different than I was 10 years ago,” he says. “That’s what is difficult for me to comprehend. Five years ago, when I was a redshirt freshman at Oregon, people didn’t treat me like this.”
   
So, he controls his environment. He regularly does interviews with Lion media, but his well-honed PR skills have helped earn him a reputation. One Detroit writer wrote that Harrington “never met a question he couldn’t deflect.” Another penned: “If you’re looking for introspection, don’t knock at Harrington’s door.”
   
He branches out only to do Mitch Albom’s radio program.
 
“I love it,” Harrington says. “I get a chance to talk about something other than football. Mr. Albom is not only a well-respected sportswriter and journalist, but he’s a great person.”
   
Harrington hasn’t answered many calls for endorsements, and he has instructed agent David Dunn to put them on hold. “Figure I should do something (on the field) first,” he says.
   
He could be on his way. ESPN will air a segment on Harrington and Mariucci on its “NFL Sunday Countdown” show, which starts at 8 a.m. PST.
   
The interviewer? Steve Young.