Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris dies at 72

news article

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame running back whose heads-up thinking authored “The Immaculate Reception,” considered the most iconic play in NFL history, has died. He was 72.

Harris’ son Dok told The Associated Press his father passed away overnight. No cause of death was given.

Franco made the greatest play in NFL history...

With Pittsburgh trailing 7-6 and facing fourth-and-10 from their own 40 yard line and 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Bradshaw drifted back and threw deep to running back French Fuqua. Fuqua and Oakland defensive back Jack Tatum collided, sending the ball careening back toward midfield in the direction of Harris.

While nearly everyone else on the field stopped, Harris kept his legs churning, snatching the ball just inches above the Three Rivers Stadium turf near the Oakland 45 then outracing several stunned Raider defenders to give the Steelers their first playoff victory in the franchise’s four-decade history.

I became a Steeler fan in 1978, I was 8 years old.

RIP Franco.

Oddly enough, the Steelers play the Raiders this week.

This is the 50th Anniv. of the Immaculate Reception.

Man I'm getting old, the Beard(RIP)

Grudgingly respected the Steelers and Franco Harris and Rocky Blier their running game was as lethal as Swann and Stallworth.

Didn't Three Rivers Stadium have a Franco's Army?

originally posted by: putnam6
Man I'm getting old, the Beard(RIP)

Grudgingly respected the Steelers and Franco Harris and Rocky Blier their running game was as lethal as Swann and Stallworth.

Didn't Three Rivers Stadium have a Franco's Army?

Franco’s Italian Army.
They wore army helmets.

He was the first Italian American MVP in the NFL and the first African American MVP rolled up in one.
I remember watching the game when the immaculate reception happened. The Steelers had quite a team for a couple of years back then.

originally posted by: butcherguy

originally posted by: putnam6
Man I'm getting old, the Beard(RIP)

Grudgingly respected the Steelers and Franco Harris and Rocky Blier their running game was as lethal as Swann and Stallworth.

Didn't Three Rivers Stadium have a Franco's Army?

Franco’s Italian Army.
They wore army helmets.

He was the first Italian American MVP in the NFL and the first African American MVP rolled up in one.
I remember watching the game when the immaculate reception happened. The Steelers had quite a team for a couple of years back then.

Yep, that and the Terrible Towel.

They were dominating for a large stretch, I think they were as good as any of the other "Best Ever" teams. they were so balanced.

a reply to: elevatedone

No no no...
I haven't even looked at the local news yet!

Sigh.

Sorry you had to report the news, thank you
S&F.

Edit: Huge part of the Steelers Legacy is gone. Not just he, but the charity work that he has done. Hopefully what he's built here a community will continue in he's honor.

Sad day for Steelers Nation.

The "Franco"
www.cbsnews.com...

www.cbsnews.com...

NFL ©
youtu.be...

The Immaculate Reception is copyrighted.
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Such a humble guy!!

Now a days there would be your player rep trying to get a shoe, cereal, Happy Meal, and any other revenue stream that they could cash in on.

I am [not] sure if I watched that game (Steelers lost the next playoff game!), but they stamped themselves into NFL history with that catch. Then went on to win the Super Bowl a few times and dominate the rest of the 70s.

No dance. No endless hype. Just the attitude of “we still have football to play”.

THAT is class! You don’t have to brag about one shoestring deflection catch forever. We remember!!

RIP Franco Harris!

I became a life-long Steelers fan in 1979.
My cousin had a poster of Franco on his wall, and then I watched them win the Super Bowl.
He was an amazing athlete and a humble person.
When my son and I made a pilgrimage to Pittsburgh to see a Steelers game, we took a picture of ourselves with the statue of Franco in the airport and promptly sent it to my brother, who happens to be a Raiders fan.

RIP Franco!

a reply to: elevatedone

Franco made the greatest play in NFL history...

Well, now we'll never know if he caught it or not. He supposedly had said he would reveal the truth of that moment for years but never got around to doing it.

Passing just a few days from having his number retired is sad, why the hell didn't the Steelers do this a long time ago?

And a funny one. Chris Cote from the Dan Lebatard show thought his name was Frank O'Harris, essentially making him Irish. How the hell you screw that one up is beyond me.

growing up a browns fan, it was always difficult to like the Steelers, but damn did they have a team. Bradshaw was in his prime, and the line was magic. Browns never had a chance.

I died the day I was born, its been a lifetime of drifting in the endless void of nothingness since then. Hopefully someday I will return to existence.

originally posted by: SeriouslyDeep
I died the day I was born, its been a lifetime of drifting in the endless void of nothingness since then. Hopefully someday I will return to existence.

*holds back tears grabs tissue(s)* sniffs too..

Seriouslydeep, that hit the the sweet spot. Thank you for that.