James Harrison Reveals Handwritten Letter from Jack Lambert, a Steelers Linebacker Legacy Moment
On a recent episode of the Deebo & Joe podcast, James Harrison pulled back the curtain on a moment that even the toughest linebacker would call humbling. Sitting across from co-host Joe Haden, Harrison held up a handwritten letter from Steelers legend Jack Lambert - a personal nod from one of the all-time greats after Harrison’s breakout game in 2007.
“From Jack Lambert, bruh. He wrote me a hand-wrote letter after my 2007 game,” Harrison told Haden, holding the letter like it was a Hall of Fame trophy in its own right.
Haden’s reaction was instant: “You can’t buy that.”
And he’s right. You can’t. Not when it’s from a guy who helped define what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker.
Harrison didn’t specify which game prompted the letter, but it’s hard not to connect the dots to that Monday Night Football demolition of the Ravens in 2007. That night, Harrison was everywhere - 10 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
It was the kind of performance that makes legends take notice. Apparently, it did.
“The greatest linebacker to ever play for the Pittsburgh Steelers gave me a letter,” Harrison said. “That’s why these guys need to vote for the Hall of Fame.”
For Harrison, the Hall of Fame voting process is personal. He believes the decision should rest in the hands of those who’ve lived it - first-ballot Hall of Famers - rather than media members. And when you’ve got a letter from Jack Lambert in your hands, that argument carries weight.
A Linebacker Legacy Built at Kent State and Cemented in Pittsburgh
There’s a deeper connection here, too. Both Lambert and Harrison are Kent State products, part of a lineage that’s produced some of the most feared defenders in the NFL.
Lambert was a second-round pick in the Steelers’ legendary 1974 draft class - a haul that brought in four Hall of Famers: Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, and Lambert himself. Donnie Shell, who went undrafted, made it five.
Lambert wasn’t just a cog in that machine - he was the heartbeat of a Steelers defense that powered four Super Bowl wins in six years. Alongside Jack Ham, he helped set the gold standard for linebackers in Pittsburgh.
In 2023, the 33rd Team ranked Lambert and Ham among the 11 greatest linebackers of all time - Lambert at No. 7, Ham at No.
- The names ahead of them?
Hendricks, Singletary, Butkus, Seau, Ray Lewis, and LT. That’s the kind of company we’re talking about.
Lambert edged Ham in Pro Bowl appearances (9 to 8), though both were named All-Pro eight times. They each earned spots on the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams. Lambert also claimed NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1974 and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1976 - a season where he finished second in league MVP voting, no small feat for a defensive player.
Lambert’s Style: Intimidation Meets Intelligence
At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Lambert broke the mold. He wasn’t built like a traditional thumper, but he played with an edge that made him the enforcer of the Steel Curtain.
He could stuff the run, drop into coverage, and make the Tampa 2 look like a fortress. And when it came to moments that defined his career, few were bigger than Super Bowl X.
After Cowboys safety Cliff Harris mocked Steelers kicker Roy Gerela following a missed field goal, Lambert stormed in and threw Harris to the turf. That moment flipped the switch.
Pittsburgh’s defense locked in, and Lambert went on to rack up 14 tackles in the game. After the win, he summed it up perfectly: “No one can be allowed to intimidate us.
We’re the Pittsburgh Steelers. We’re supposed to be the intimidators.”
That line could’ve come straight from Harrison’s playbook. Both men played with a chip on their shoulder and a fire in their gut.
They weren’t just linebackers - they were tone-setters. They were the guys who made you think twice about crossing the middle.
From One Steeler Great to Another
For Harrison, that letter from Lambert wasn’t just a gesture. It was a passing of the torch. A recognition that his brand of football - fierce, relentless, unapologetic - was exactly what the Steelers’ linebacker tradition demanded.
And when Jack Lambert, the face of Pittsburgh’s defensive identity, takes the time to write you a personal note after a game? That’s not just respect. That’s legacy.
In Pittsburgh, linebackers don’t just play football. They carry a tradition. And on that night in 2007, James Harrison did more than dominate a game - he earned the respect of the man who helped build that tradition from the ground up.