2008 Reebok Road Authentic
#95 James Harrison with Super Bowl XLIII Patch
Manufacturer: Reebok
Size: 54
Purchased From: eBay
Lettered by: Manufacturer
The Story: Even though James Harrison went on to play for the evil Cinci Bungals before coming back to Pittsburgh, who could ever forget his hurdling Ladanian Tomlinson on an interception return against San Diego or the 100-yard Pick-Six he had in Super Bowl XLIII against the Phoenix Cardinals (both pictured above) and not forgive him? I can't! Number 92 is one of the most intense people I could imagine, and that intensity made him one of the best linebackers to ever wear a Steelers jersey, finally breaking the all-time team records for sacks in 2016. And that's saying something! So when the opportunity to get my hands on a Super Bowl XLIII jersey of his came about, I couldn't say no!
This was another eBay deal, and we all know how careful you have to be. To be honest, this one might be a knockoff, but if it is, it's probably the best knockoff you're ever going to see. The jersey, itself, is a little lighter in weight than the Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu authentics that I have, but I've also read about NFL jerseys coming in different weights for different playing conditions (summer jerseys versus winter jerseys), so not having the same expertise in Steelers jerseys that I have in Penguins jerseys, I can't honestly say I know for sure. Maybe Reebok slightly changed up the fabric on the side panels from one year to the next - I don't know - but this jersey doesn't look like any other knockoff that I've seen. On top of that, the lettering on this one is perfect. The numbers on the front and back (yes, they're supposed to be different), the lettering on the nameplate, the Steelers logo patch on the front, and the striping on the sleeves all tell me this is an authentic jersey. And given that it's a "summer weight" jersey, I can comfortably wear it a little earlier in the fall and a little later in the spring than I can the others in my collection. At the end of the day, I'm happy with it. And that's all that matters, isn't it?
Size: 54
Purchased From: eBay
Lettered by: Manufacturer
The Story: Even though James Harrison went on to play for the evil Cinci Bungals before coming back to Pittsburgh, who could ever forget his hurdling Ladanian Tomlinson on an interception return against San Diego or the 100-yard Pick-Six he had in Super Bowl XLIII against the Phoenix Cardinals (both pictured above) and not forgive him? I can't! Number 92 is one of the most intense people I could imagine, and that intensity made him one of the best linebackers to ever wear a Steelers jersey, finally breaking the all-time team records for sacks in 2016. And that's saying something! So when the opportunity to get my hands on a Super Bowl XLIII jersey of his came about, I couldn't say no!
This was another eBay deal, and we all know how careful you have to be. To be honest, this one might be a knockoff, but if it is, it's probably the best knockoff you're ever going to see. The jersey, itself, is a little lighter in weight than the Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu authentics that I have, but I've also read about NFL jerseys coming in different weights for different playing conditions (summer jerseys versus winter jerseys), so not having the same expertise in Steelers jerseys that I have in Penguins jerseys, I can't honestly say I know for sure. Maybe Reebok slightly changed up the fabric on the side panels from one year to the next - I don't know - but this jersey doesn't look like any other knockoff that I've seen. On top of that, the lettering on this one is perfect. The numbers on the front and back (yes, they're supposed to be different), the lettering on the nameplate, the Steelers logo patch on the front, and the striping on the sleeves all tell me this is an authentic jersey. And given that it's a "summer weight" jersey, I can comfortably wear it a little earlier in the fall and a little later in the spring than I can the others in my collection. At the end of the day, I'm happy with it. And that's all that matters, isn't it?