01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, September 29, 2005

BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- Rodney Harrison never has a problem motivating himself to compete. He can sniff a lack of respect in a simple, "Good morning, Mr. Harrison."

But this Sunday's game against the Chargers figured to have the Patriots fallen safety in an unusually frothy mood. Harrison played seven seasons in San Diego. Since coming to the Patriots in 2003, he's made no attempt to mask his distaste for the way he was released or the grudge he holds against San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Harrison's season ended Sunday when he tore up his knee against the Steelers. Back in 2002, while still with the Chargers, the strong safety tore his groin. He played with 60 percent of it pulled away from the bone, hobbling through games determinedly. When the season ended, the Chargers said he didn't have the same speed, was a coverage liability and they let him go.

In a GQ article from 2004, Harrison was making a point about the honesty of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

"Ninety-five percent of these coaches blow smoke . . . ," said Harrison then. "They lie. They deceive you. Marty Schottenheimer is a flat liar. You can see why he doesn't have respect. He doesn't treat guys with respect."

This Sunday's game, one would imagine, has been triple-circled in blood-red marker since the schedule came out.

And now Harrison will miss it. It's upsetting to, of all people, San Diego superstar running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

"I was looking forward to playing against Rodney and being out there with him again," said Tomlinson, who played his first two seasons with Harrison. "I learned so much from the guy. I really appreciate everything he has done in helping my career. I was really looking forward to it.

"What he went through is such a sad thing and I pray that his health gets back to 100 percent and he's able to do the things that he used to do. It's hard and my heart goes out to him and his family. It's tough, man, it really is."

Harrison had the same affect on Tomlinson as he has on his Patriot teammates.

"(He helped with) the little things like how to prepare for a game," Tomlinson said. "The things that I needed to do to become an elite player in this league, not only in the offseason, but also during the season in terms of my diet and just being more attentive on and off the field. He made me better.

"Rodney lived across the street from me. I used to talk to him a lot about different things. I would go over his house, he'd come over mine. It was a good relationship."

And Harrison's release helped teach Tomlinson about the league.

"It was devastating, to be honest with you," he said. "I was a young player and didn't understand a lot about the business. I didn't understand why (Harrison was released). I knew that he was a heck of a player and had many more years left. Of course as a young player you wonder why. Talking to him, he knew the business of it. He made me understand that it's a business first. After a while, I kind of got it."

Pats add Zereoue

The Patriots yesterday signed 5-foot-8, 205-pound running back Amos Zereoue yesterday. The move was necessitated by a foot injury suffered by Kevin Faulk late in Sunday's game with the Steelers.

Faulk is listed as out for Sunday's game with the Chargers. Faulk and Zereoue, 29, have similar builds and skills. Zereoue's averaged 41 receptions over the last four seasons and ran 112 times for 425 yards last season with Oakland after spending five fairly productive seasons as Pittsburgh's change-up back.

On Tuesday, the team signed a safety, Mike Stone, and offensive lineman Gene Mruczkzowski to shore up depth since injuries befell Harrison and Matt Light. Light's leg, sources confirmed, is broken.

The Pats released wide receiver Andre Davis, who hasn't played since the final preseason game because of injury, to clear room for Zereoue.

The walking wounded

Also listed on the injury report this week are linebacker Tully Banta-Cain (knee), corner Randall Gay (ankle), tackle Brandon Gorin (thigh), defensive end Marquise Hill (ankle), corner Tyrone Poole (ankle), safety James Sanders (ankle), corner Chad Scott (shoulder and hand) and corner Duane Starks (thigh). Quarterback Tom Brady is probable with a sore right shoulder.

For the record

Belichick reportedly told the Steelers head trainer to get away from Matt Light during Sunday's game in Pittsburgh when the tackle was crumpled on the ground. Belichick seemed slightly embarrassed by the situation yesterday but issued no apologies. "There is no organization that I have more respect for than the Steelers. Bill (Cowher) has been doing it at Pittsburgh longer than anyone of us has [been]. He's done it very well. He has a tremendous organization. He has a tremendous team. He's done a tremendous job and I have 100 percent total respect for Bill Cowher, his organization, and his football team."

Time to move on

Belichick was unaware that 52 seconds were added to the game clock early in the fourth quarter Sunday. Asked what he thought might have happened differently had the game been 60 minutes long and not 60:52, Belichick said, "Whatever time is left on the clock at the end of the game, you play the game according to the time, and the situation, that's remaining on the clock. One second could be a lot of time. It depends on what the situation is. Whatever time is left up there on the board, whatever the situation is, that's what you play to."