Franco Harris, Steelers Corridor of Fame working again, dies at 72

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Franco Harris, the Corridor of Fame working again whose heads-up considering authored The Immaculate Reception, thought-about essentially the most iconic play in NFL historical past, has died. He was 72.

Harris’ son Dok informed The Related Press his father handed away in a single day. No reason for dying was given.

His dying comes two days earlier than the fiftieth anniversary of the play that offered the jolt that helped remodel the Steelers from simply one other workforce into the NFL’s elite — and three days earlier than Pittsburgh is scheduled to retire his No. 32 throughout a ceremony at halftime of its recreation in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders.

"We've got misplaced an unimaginable soccer participant, an unimaginable ambassador to the Corridor and most significantly, now we have misplaced one of many best gents anybody will ever meet," Professional Soccer of Fame president Jim Porter stated in an announcement. "Franco not solely impacted the sport of soccer, however he additionally affected the lives of many, many individuals in profoundly optimistic methods."

Harris ran for 12,120 yards and received 4 Tremendous Bowl rings with the Steelers within the Nineteen Seventies, a dynasty that started in earnest when Harris determined to maintain working throughout a last-second heave by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in a playoff recreation in opposition to Oakland in 1972.

With Pittsburgh trailing 7-6 and dealing with fourth-and-10 from their very own 40 yard line and 22 seconds remaining within the fourth quarter, Bradshaw drifted again and threw deep to working again Frenchy Fuqua. Fuqua and Oakland defensive again Jack Tatum collided, sending the ball careening again towards midfield within the path of Harris.

Whereas practically everybody else on the sector stopped, Harris stored his legs churning, snatching the ball simply inches above the Three Rivers Stadium turf close to the Oakland 45 then outracing a number of surprised Raider defenders to offer the Steelers their first playoff victory within the franchise’s four-decade historical past.

"That play actually represents our groups of the ’70s," Harris stated after the "Immaculate Reception" was voted the best play in NFL historical past through the league’s one hundredth anniversary season in 2020.

Whereas the Steelers fell the subsequent week to Miami within the AFC Championship, Pittsburgh was on its option to changing into the dominant workforce of the Nineteen Seventies, twice successful back-to-back Tremendous Bowls, first after the 1974 and 1975 seasons and once more after the 1978 and 1979 seasons.

Harris, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound workhorse from Penn State, discovered himself within the middle of all of it. He churned for a then-record 158 yards speeding and a landing in Pittsburgh’s 16-6 victory over Minnesota in Tremendous Bowl IX on his option to successful the sport’s Most Worthwhile Participant award. He scored at the least as soon as in three of the 4 Tremendous Bowls he performed in, and his 354 profession yards speeding on the NFL’s largest stage stays a document practically 4 many years after his retirement.

Born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 7, 1950, Harris performed collegiately at Penn State, the place his major job was to open holes for backfield mate Lydell Mitchell. The Steelers, within the remaining levels of a rebuild led by Corridor of Fame coach Chuck Noll, noticed sufficient in Harris to make him the thirteenth general decide within the 1972 draft.

"When (Noll) drafted Franco Harris, he gave the offense coronary heart, he gave it self-discipline, he gave it need, he gave it the flexibility to win a championship in Pittsburgh," Steelers Corridor of Fame broad receiver Lynn Swann stated of his frequent roommate on workforce street journeys.

Harris’ impression was fast. He received the NFL’s Rookie to the Yr award in 1972 after speeding for a then-team-rookie document 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns because the Steelers reached the postseason for simply the second time in franchise historical past.

Town’s giant Italian-American inhabitants embraced Harris instantly, led by two native businessmen who based what turned referred to as "Franco’s Italian Military," a nod to Harris’ roots because the son of an African-American father and an Italian mom.

The "Immaculate Reception" made Harris a star, although he sometimes most popular to let his play and never his mouth do the speaking. On a workforce that featured large personalities in Bradshaw, defensive sort out Joe Greene, linebacker Jack Lambert amongst others, the intensely quiet Harris spent 12 seasons because the engine that helped Pittsburgh’s offense go.

Eight instances he topped 1,000 yards speeding in a season, together with 5 instances whereas enjoying a 14-game schedule. He piled up one other 1,556 yards speeding and 16 speeding touchdowns within the playoffs, each second all-time behind Smith.

Regardless of his gaudy numbers, Harris confused he was only one cog in a rare machine that redefined greatness.

"You see, throughout that period, every participant introduced their very own little piece with them to make that fantastic decade occur," Harris stated throughout his Corridor of Fame speech in 1990. "Every participant had their strengths and weaknesses, every their very own considering, every their very own methodology, simply every, every had their very own. However then it was superb, all of it got here collectively, and it stayed collectively to forge the best workforce of all instances."

Harris additionally made it a behavior to stay up for his teammates. When Bradshaw took what Harris felt was an unlawful late hit from Dallas linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson within the second half of their assembly within the 1978 Tremendous Bowl, Harris mainly demanded Bradshaw give him the ball on the subsequent play. All Harris did was dash up the center 22 yards — proper by Henderson — for a landing that gave the Steelers an 11-point lead they might not relinquish on their option to their third championship in six years.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 01: Pittsburgh Steelers RB Franco Harris throughout playoff recreation motion in opposition to Los Angeles Raiders, January 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Picture by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Pictures)

Regardless of all of his success, his time in Pittsburgh ended acrimoniously when the Steelers minimize him after he held out throughout coaching camp earlier than the 1984 season. Noll, who leaned on Harris so closely for therefore lengthy, famously answered "Franco who?" when requested about Harris’ absence from the workforce’s camp at Saint Vincent School.

Harris signed with Seattle, working for simply 170 yards in eight video games earlier than being launched in midseason. He retired because the NFL’s third all-time main rusher behind Walter Payton and Jim Brown.

"I don’t even take into consideration that (anymore)," Harris stated in 2006. "I’m nonetheless black and gold."

Harris remained in Pittsburgh following his retirement, opening a bakery and changing into closely concerned in a number of charities, together with serving because the chairman of "Pittsburgh Promise," which gives faculty scholarship alternatives for Pittsburgh Public College college students.

Reflecting on Harris’ legacy on Tuesday, earlier than Harris’ passing, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin known as it "an honor to be in proximity to it, to know the person concerned."

Harris is survived by his spouse Dana Dokmanovich and his son, Dok.

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