Franco Harris looked totally normal during a photo opportunity with fans on Tuesday. Reporter Brooke Pryor said the legend couldn’t have been nicer as a family posed with Franco Harris in front of his statue at the Senator John Heinz History Center.
My lasting memory of Franco Harris is not only did he spend time talking with me yesterday, he also turned a photo request into a history lesson for Mimi, 15, and Reese, 11, who were visiting Pittsburgh with their dad for the day. Franco was so kind and had time for everyone. pic.twitter.com/H1KRS4QP2q
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 21, 2022
Franco Harris, who was in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was one of the most famous Pittsburgh Steelers ever, died on Wednesday, his family said.
He had lived for 72 years.
The cause of death hasn’t been found out yet, but Harris’s family said he died overnight.
The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is immensely saddened today,
Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said Wednesday morning in a statement.
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.
Franco Harris was picked by the Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft, and it didn’t take long for him to become a huge star. He ran for 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season. He made the Pro Bowl team and was named Rookie of the Year.
Franco Harris ended up making eight more Pro Bowls with the Steelers and helping them win four Super Bowls. He was named MVP in SB IX.
Franco Harris ran for 12,120 yards and 91 touchdowns in his career. He also caught passes for 2,287 yards and nine touchdowns. In 1990, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound running back is best known for his part in the “Immaculate Reception,” a crazy play in a 1972 AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Raiders that many people consider one of the best moments in NFL history.
RIP Franco Harris
The immaculate reception happened 50 years ago this week.
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) December 21, 2022
During the play, the Steelers were down 7-6 and on fourth down with only 22 seconds left in the game. Terry Bradshaw, the quarterback, threw a pass, but it went backward and right into Harris’ waiting arms.
Then Franco Harris ran it in for the winning touchdown.
Harris was going to be honored by the Steelers just one day after the 50th anniversary of the play. On Saturday, when the Steelers played the Raiders in Las Vegas, they were going to retire his number 32.
Words can’t begin to describe the pain I am feeling,
Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis said following Franco’s death Wednesday.
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.
