Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, the Pittsburgh Steelers icon who will be remembered for one of the greatest plays in NFL history, has died. He was 72.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed his death on Wednesday, just two days before the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” when Harris made an improbable catch off a deflected Terry Bradshaw pass and scored a game-winning touchdown against the Raiders in a 1972 playoff game.
Advertisement
The cause of death was not immediately available.
The team is planning to retire Harris’ number 32 jersey, only the third time the Steelers have bestowed such an honor on a player, in a halftime ceremony this weekend. This week, the Steelers organized a number of events to remember his miraculous play. A special ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at 3:41 p.m. ET, exactly 50 years after Harris made his immaculate catch. Members of the 1972 team will gather at the Immaculate Reception Monument on West General Robinson Street and the general public is invited to attend.
“It is difficult to find the appropriate words to describe Franco Harris’ impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers, his teammates, the City of Pittsburgh and Steelers Nation,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “From his rookie season, which included the Immaculate Reception, through the next 50 years, Franco brought joy to people on and off the field.
“He never stopped giving back in so many ways. He touched so many, and he was loved by so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Dana, his son Dok, and his extended family at this difficult time.”
Harris was born in Fort Dix, N.J. on March 7, 1950, and played football collegiately at Penn State. In 1972, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Harris with the 13th pick in the NFL Draft.
“In 1972, when I got that phone call that morning to say congratulations you’re drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. I said, ‘No!'” Harris recounted in September during an event at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. “I did not want Pittsburgh to draft me. Fifty years later, I’m lucky I did not have the choice.”
At the time, the Steelers were a lowly franchise with just one playoff appearance in the organization’s history. With a physical running style and a humble personality that fit Pittsburgh’s working-class identity, the rugged running back transformed the Steelers into a dynasty that would win the Super Bowl four times in six seasons from 1974-75 to 1979-80. His first Lombardi Trophy came with another accolade, as Harris was honored as the Super Bowl IX MVP after rushing for 158 yards against the Vikings.
Advertisement
“Things beyond my control brought me to Pittsburgh,” Harris said. “And 50 years later, it’s been a dream.”
Harris jumpstarted his Hall of Fame career by rushing for 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 180 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. He was honored after the season with the NFL’s Rookie of The Year. Soon, he became a Steelers favorite with his own fan group called “Franco’s Italian Army.” Frank Sinatra was even inducted as a one-star general.
That promising rookie season helped the Steelers capture a berth in the 1972 AFC divisional round against the rival Oakland Raiders, marking just the second playoff appearance in Steelers history. It was there that Harris became part of one of the greatest plays in NFL history. On fourth-and-10 with 22 seconds remaining and the Steelers trailing, 7-6, all hope appeared lost. Pittsburgh linebacker Jack Ham began cutting off his tape. Believing the season was over, Steelers owner Art Rooney infamously left the box where he was seated and boarded an elevator to the field level.
“I’m saying to myself: Franco, this will probably be the last play of the season,” Harris told The Athletic recently. “Play it to the end. Play it to the end.”
Bradshaw uncorked a prayer of a pass intended for Frenchy Fuqua. When the ball, Fuqua and Raiders safety Jack Tatum collided, the ball careened back toward the line of scrimmage and right into Harris’ destined hands. He raced the ball into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. Although the Steelers’ 1972 playoff run ended the following week at the hands of the undefeated Miami Dolphins, the Immaculate Reception is often considered the moment a dynasty was conceived.
“In hindsight, we can look back, we know that after ’72, we went on to win four Super Bowls in six years (in 1974, ’75, ’78 and ’79),” Joe Greene told The Athletic. “I can say because I was a part of it, I think it gave us the confidence and the level of expertise and experience that we could play against anybody at any time and compete for a championship.”
Advertisement
This week, the Steelers organized a number of events with the plan to remember that miraculous play. The tone and mood of those celebrations will now shift toward remembering the man behind it.
“The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is immensely saddened today,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement Wednesday. “We have lost an incredible football player, an incredible ambassador to the Hall and, most importantly, we have lost one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet. Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also affected the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways. The Hall of Fame and historians everywhere will tell Franco’s football story forever.”
Harris played 12 of his 13 NFL seasons in Pittsburgh. He retired at the conclusion of the 1984 season following one season in Seattle. The nine-time Pro Bowler racked up 12,120 rushing yards and 100 touchdowns (91 rushing, nine receiving) in his career. His 1,556 rushing yards in the postseason still rank second in NFL history, behind only Emmitt Smith. Harris was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
Even in retirement, Harris remained a fixture in the Pittsburgh community and a respected voice in the Steelers organization. Just days ago, Steelers running back Najee Harris was talking about how Franco Harris has embraced him. The Steelers legend routinely texted the current running back with words of encouragement or little jokes.
“He’s like family, you know what I mean?” Najee Harris said.
“He’s just a special man,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. “Forget the player. Obviously, I never knew the player. I know the man and just what an awesome representation of this organization, this community (he was). A guy that emcees all the responsibility with being him. I just admire his passion for Pittsburgh and young people. … His passion for others and this place and the Steelers is unparalleled and it’s to be admired.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey called Harris “a legend.”
Advertisement
“Not only was he the greatest running back in the history of the (Steelers), but a great man off the field whose kindness and generosity was felt by many,” Gainey said on Twitter.
CommUnity — Pittsburgh lost a legend today. I ask that you join me in praying for the family and friends of Franco Harris. Not only was he the greatest running back in the history of the @Steelers, but a great man off the field whose kindness and generosity was felt by many. pic.twitter.com/3aTht8G8ix
— Mayor Ed Gainey (@MayorEdGainey) December 21, 2022
Jerome Bettis, a fellow legendary Steelers running back, called Harris “a true class act” in a Twitter tribute.
“Franco will always be a brother, mentor and my definition of greatness. He was a legend on the field and the personification of excellence off of the field– A true class act to look up to and aspire to be like.”
Words can’t begin to describe the pain I am feeling. Franco will always be a brother, mentor and my definition of greatness. He was a legend on the field and the personification of excellence off of the field– A true class act to look up to and aspire to be like. RIP #32 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/WOYU4qCZDP
— Jerome Bettis (@JeromeBettis36) December 21, 2022
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement on Harris’ death.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected passing of Franco Harris. He meant so much to Steelers fans as the Hall of Fame running back who helped form the nucleus of the team’s dynasty of the ’70s, but he was much more,” Goodell said. “He was a gentle soul who touched so many in the Pittsburgh community and throughout the entire NFL. Franco changed the way people thought of the Steelers, of Pittsburgh, and of the NFL.
“He will forever live in the hearts of Steelers fans everywhere, his teammates, and the city of Pittsburgh.”
“I know what he means to the city and the (Steelers) organization. It’s sad. They were gonna have a ceremony for him this weekend. It’s sad news. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the Steelers.”
— Penguins captain Sidney Crosby on the late Franco Harris
— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) December 21, 2022
Here at the exact location where Franco Harris made the Immaculate Reception almost 50 year ago, a monument has turned into a memorial.
Fans have left flowers and Terrible Towels to honor a Steelers icon and beloved figure in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/5JTC3coMbh
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 21, 2022
President Joe Biden also paid tribute to Harris and “the glory he brought to football” in a tweet Wednesday afternoon.
Franco Harris is known for the glory he brought to football. But I knew him for his character and compassion – someone who spent time with my boys after we lost my first wife and infant daughter.
May God bless Franco Harris, a dear friend of 50 years and a great American. pic.twitter.com/YhOYr3a4IM
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 21, 2022
(Photo: Harry Cabluck / AP Photo)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k2lpbHBmaXxzfJFrZmpqX2d%2BcLLRmqWcp12drrO%2ByKxknZ2RqbVuvMitq6yapae0qXnSrZyepJWnwHA%3D