Falcons release quarterback Joey Harrington

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Quarterback Joey Harrington, a distant cousin of British Open champion golfer Padraig Harrington, has been released by the Atlanta Falcons, the team said on Wednesday.

A first-round pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2002 draft, Harrington joined the Falcons as a free agent last April.

He played 12 games last season, completing 215 of 348 passes for 2,215 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.

In a six-year career which has included four seasons with Detroit and the 2006 campaign with the Miami Dolphins, Harrington has registered more than 14,500 passing yards and 79 touchdown passes in 76 starts at quarterback.

His Irish cousin Padraig, the world's number 10 golfer, won his first major title in last year's British Open at Carnoustie.

Joey's side of the family left Ireland three generations ago to settle eventually in Oregon. "It was very green and reminded them of Ireland," he has told reporters.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Padraic Halpin)