Every player at the Scouting Combine every year has a media obligation. The NFL doesn’t ask much of them in the way of interviews.
Players are on the podium for 15 minutes or less and some then go through the “car wash” with short interviews with Pro Football Talk, NBC, CBS and/or Sirius.
Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. made history on Friday.
He became one of the first players — if not the first — to skip his media availability in the modern era of the combine.
An NFL spokesman announced shortly before Harrison’s 8:20 a.m. ET scheduled time that he would not be available for his scheduled time.
Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter defended Harrison, writing on social media that “Marvin Harrison Jr. is currently with the medical people getting a body scan. Relax.” If a player is tied up in medical testing, the NFL announces the player will be in at a later time because of further medical testing.
In the case of Harrison, the NFL did not announce medical testing as a reason for his absence, and a league source confirms Harrison is not expected to be available for interviews at the combine.
Other players delayed at medical still participate in media interviews, so Harrison’s unavailability is by choice.
Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, for instance, was almost four hours late to his media availability earlier this week after needing extra medical checks off-site. Sweat, though, still fulfilled his media obligation, drawing a big crowd of reporters despite his lateness.
Harrison will not fulfill his, and since he won’t, reporters are left in the dark to the reason for his no-show.
