NFL teams
Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Jerome Harrison says Twitter account posing as his was fake

Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns

A Twitter account that posed as belonging to former NFL running back Jerome Harrison over the weekend has proven to be a fake.

Harrison, in a brief conversation with ESPN on Thursday afternoon, confirmed the account @jharrison_35, which had posted messages about Harrison's recovery from a brain tumor discovered during the 2011 NFL season, was not his.

Harrison, 35, is not believed to be on social media.

He is progressing with his life and recovery. "I'm enjoying doing that in privacy," he said. "That is all I was calling to say."

He would not answer any questions about his recovery, about being impersonated or what he has been up to since 2012, but that "when I get to that point, I will call you." Harrison's wife, Michelle, also confirmed the account was not theirs.

The account that posed as Harrison posted at least two messages on Saturday; one read "No one can measure your WILL! #inspireothers" and another appeared to be an inspirational video. It's not clear who was in the video.

Two days after the messages -- which went viral, including stories on multiple outlets -- former NFL receiver Greg Jennings, who has known Harrison since their days together in their hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan, posted a message saying the account was false.

The account was deleted the same day and reappeared Wednesday posing as Vernon Gholston with the handle (@Gholston50). A message left for Gholston, a former NFL defensive end, was not immediately returned.

That account was then deleted Thursday and again reappeared, this time with the handle @CharlesRogers80 -- presumably impersonating another former NFL player, Charles Rogers. All three players who have been impersonated by the account went to high school in Michigan.

Harrison, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, was an All-American at Washington State and was a fifth-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2006. Harrison was traded to Philadelphia in 2010 and was signed by the Detroit Lions in 2011.

Detroit then traded Harrison to Philadelphia, and the tumor was discovered during his physical with the Eagles. After a surgery, a blood clot in his brain left him as a quadriplegic who couldn't eat or talk. He has been recovering since, including learning to walk, talk and eat again, according to a CBS story in 2012.

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