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.
His death comes two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that provided the jolt that helped transform the Steelers from also-rans into the NFL’s elite and three days before Pittsburgh is scheduled to retire his No. 32 during a ceremony at halftime of its game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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.
“One of the kindest, gentlest men I have ever known,” Hall of Famer Tony Dungy, a teammate of Harris’ in Pittsburgh in the late 1970s, posted on Twitter. “He was a great person & great teammate. Hall of Fame player but so much more than that. A tremendous role model for me!” The city’s large Italian-American population embraced Harris immediately, led by two local businessmen who founded what became known as “Franco’s Italian Army,” a nod to Harris’ roots as the son of an African-American father and an Italian mother.
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Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris has died at age 72Franco 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.
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Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris has died at age 72Franco 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.
Weiterlesen »
Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris dies at 72, days before 'Immaculate Reception' anniversaryFranco Harris' death comes two days before the 50th anniversary of 'The Immaculate Reception' and three days before the Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to retire his No. 32 during a ceremony at halftime of its game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, who authored ‘The Immaculate Reception,’ dies at 72Franco 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.
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