Super Bowl champion reveals reason for viral freeze-up during pregame show

Two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison spoke retired astir his viral freeze-up during the pregame amusement of NBC's "Sunday Night Football."

Harrison, 52, stopped speaking abruptly portion discussing the Washington Commanders’ defense, leaving fans wondering if helium was having wellness issues. The erstwhile antiaircraft backmost said helium was conscionable exhausted. 

"I was exhausted moving connected a fewer hours of slumber watching my lad play Saturday night. I had 3 hours of slumber connected Sunday and had to enactment each day," Harrison told MassLive.com successful a text. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

NBC expert Rodney Harrison earlier a crippled betwixt the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants astatine Highmark Stadium successful Orchard Park, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2023. (Mark Konezny/USA Today Sports)

"I was suffering from exhaustion. But I’m good."

Harrison has 2 kids playing Division I assemblage football. Christian plays information for Cincinnati, portion R.J. plays cornerback for Wofford College. Harrison said helium has been backmost and distant from the East and West coasts to effort and get to their games. 

The exhaustion from the question deed Harrison erstwhile Tony Dungy and Jac Collinsworth asked him astir however to onslaught the Commanders' defense. 

GIANTS ROOKIE GIVES EXPLICIT NON-ANSWER ABOUT REASON FOR LATEST BENCHING

Rodney Harrison attends a crippled betwixt the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Chargers astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, Calif., Nov. 17, 2024. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Harrison started to respond to Dungy’s reply with "Yeah, I look a …" earlier trailing off. He past said helium forgot the question and Collinsworth repeated it to him again. 

"The champion mode to onslaught them," Harrison said earlier trailing disconnected again. Collinsworth repeated the question, trying to assistance his teammate out, and past Harrison responded to the twice-repeated question with an apology for his deficiency of answer. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP 

Bundle FOX One and FOX Nation to watercourse the full FOX Nation library, positive unrecorded FOX News, Sports and Entertainment astatine our lowest terms of the year. The connection ends connected Jan. 4, 2026. (Fox One; Fox Nation)

"It’s a batch of worldly going on, I’m sorry, guys. They don’t person a batch of subject connected the antiaircraft broadside of the ball. … That’s it … I’m sorry, guys."

Harrison appeared connected the postgame amusement aft the game. In his 15-year career, the two-time All-Pro recorded 34 interceptions, 30½ sacks and 1,206 combined tackles. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.