Patrick Chung’s Play Reminiscent of Former Patriots Safety Rodney Harrison

FOXBORO, Mass. — It's hard to look at Patriots safety Patrick Chung without seeing a little bit of Rodney Harrison.

Naturally, Chung has a long, long, long way to go before he enters Harrison's hemisphere, but the way Chung's play on the field and demeanor behind the scenes help drum up some memories of Harrison, who won two Super Bowls with the Patriots and is a borderline Hall of Famer.

As it turns out, Harrison has acted as something of a mentor to Chung.

"I’ve met Rodney," Chung said. "I’ve talked to him, texted him. He gives me advice. I listen to him. He’s been in the league for a long time, so he’s one of those guys you have to listen to."

Chung and Harrison were New England teammates for a very brief period of time. The Patriots drafted Chung with their first pick (a second-round selection) in April 2009, about five weeks before Harrison retired.

Chung plays with a dynamic edge that is reminiscent of Harrison's style, and he's a sound tackler with playmaking coverage abilities. Despite missing two games with a knee injury, the second-year safety was second on the Patriots this season with 89 total tackles and third with 67 solo stops. He was second on the Pats with nine passes defense, and he tied for second on the team with three interceptions.

Behind the scenes, Chung has a similar swagger and confidence that Harrison also displayed, and while talking to the media, Chung won't ever give away a bit of information that could hurt the team.

Basically, he's a younger version of Harrison, and with a continued desire to improve, the Patriots will be in great shape at that position for years to come. Chung, meanwhile, can set the bar to Harrison's standard.

"He’s intense," Chung said of Harrison's game. "He’s flying around full speed, and he’s not going to stop. Every single play, he’s going hard, every single time. You have to give a guy like that credit. To go hard for so many years, every practice, every game, a lot of guys can’t do that."