Steelers Hall-of-Famer Franco Harris dead at 72
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Famer Franco Harris has died at the age of 72, just days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
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WTAE confirms Franco Harris has died.
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Franco's life-size cardboard cutout of Joe Paterno will take his place for all 50th anniversary celebrations this weekend. This is confirmed.
In all seriousness it makes you wonder if the increase in attention for the 50th anniversary caused a lot more stress for him and exacerbated some underlying condition.
I heard an incredible interview with Mel Blount last night. It sounded like a lot of guys are in town celebrating things. Don’t know what Franco’s health was like and if he was out with the guys….
A little before my time, but I it is clear that his “Hail Mary” catch was something that creates legends and helped propel those early Steeler teams.Steelers Hall-of-Famer Franco Harris dead at 72
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Famer Franco Harris has died at the age of 72, just days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.
Don’t let anybody kid you either. Nobody saw it live except those at the stadium or who lived outside Pittsburgh viewing area.
RIP Franco. Not the most popular guy here for obvious reasons but 72 is way too early to go, at least for someone who appeared to be as healthy as him for his age.
At a time like this I regret that I never had the opportunity to try his vitamin donuts. Or park at Airport Redcap.
Seriously, he was my earliest favorite Steeler. He was definitely a great player. Involved in one of the most incredible sports plays ever. As we know, his later actions were regrettable, as they are for many great players. Unfortunate, but the bigger story is his playing career.
Seriously, he was my earliest favorite Steeler. He was definitely a great player. Involved in one of the most incredible sports plays ever. As we know, his later actions were regrettable, as they are for many great players. Unfortunate, but the bigger story is his playing career.
God Bless him!!! His NFL career wasn't too shabby considering he was a blocking back for Lydell Mitchell.
I don’t know if it’s a bigger story but sad/strange/however you want to describe it is the timing of his death right on the heels of the immaculate reception 50th anniversary and his # going to be retired.
Darn I just realized yesterday that I made a Franco joke. I was talking to a couple guys about a mom concerned that her 4 year old son wanted to be a unicorn and was confused on how to raise him. I told my friends that kids go through phases. When I was young I wanted to be Franco. But then I grew up. Now I feel bad.
I’m devastated. One one my all-time favorite Steelers. Only days away from having his jersey retired and the Immaculate Reception commemorated. What a gut punch to wake up to. May he Rest in Peace!
It’s big news…The only news… for sure here in Pgh at this moment. Every channel with “breaking news”’ like a Royal died. Which of course is true, here.
I feel bad for the non-local announcers who pass through here on their way to better jobs. They know nothing of Pittsburgh sports but now have to talk incessantly about this. One reporter just said “he of course is most known that he caught the famous pass that bounced off of Frankie Frukwa”
So this is Christmas
And Franco is dead.
No kids to discredit
For Jerry was a pred.
So Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
We all knew that Joe knew
He covered it up.
And Franco is dead.
No kids to discredit
For Jerry was a pred.
So Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
We all knew that Joe knew
He covered it up.
Folks outside of 150 mile radius of Altoona have no memory of his post psu scandal antics and 80% of those cult driven folks inside it are fine with it ..so I'll go with reception, 4 rings and HOF induction.
When I said ‘bigger story’, I was referring to your note that the bigger story was his playing career. Yeah, without a doubt this is big news in Pittsburgh. And the timing of it makes it bigger than it already would have been.
Thanks, I certainly agree with that aspect of it being very ironic. It seems likely the Steelers might have known or suspected he had some condition, given they were going to the extent to retire the number, which they almost never do. They could have simply had a ceremony about the play itself.
Ok. From the Blount interview I mentioned above:
1) Mr Rooney famously never saw the play because he was in the elevator headed downstairs after what he assumed was a loss. But what I didn’t know is the elevator panel is in the Hall Of Fame.
2) additionally Franco was reading the newspaper one day and read that crews were ripping up the Three Rivers carpet for replace the with a new one. He ran over to the stadium and the crew was on lunch break and had stopped ripping up the turf about 5 yards from the spot where Franco caught the ball. He was able to locate the spot where he caught the ball and “cut out”(no pun intended) the section and took it home. That section is in the Hall of Fame too.
3) apparently an unidentified man has the ball and all efforts to recover it have been unsuccessful.
1) Mr Rooney famously never saw the play because he was in the elevator headed downstairs after what he assumed was a loss. But what I didn’t know is the elevator panel is in the Hall Of Fame.
2) additionally Franco was reading the newspaper one day and read that crews were ripping up the Three Rivers carpet for replace the with a new one. He ran over to the stadium and the crew was on lunch break and had stopped ripping up the turf about 5 yards from the spot where Franco caught the ball. He was able to locate the spot where he caught the ball and “cut out”(no pun intended) the section and took it home. That section is in the Hall of Fame too.
3) apparently an unidentified man has the ball and all efforts to recover it have been unsuccessful.
Damn, sorry to hear.
One of the all time legends.
Definitely seemed to be slipping these last years to me.
One of the all time legends.
Definitely seemed to be slipping these last years to me.
There was an article in the Trib last week about the guy who grabbed the ball at the end of the game and still has it. He has loaned it to the Heinz History Center and whatnot, just doesn’t want to sell it. That’s pretty admirable given he’s been offered over a million for it.
He was probably dreading having to go to that game given the weather forecast.
I found the retiring of Franco’s uniform number a bit odd. The Steelers never retire numbers and all of a sudden they decided to retire his. I wonder if he was sick and only a as few people knew?
You never know. Bill Fralic looked healthy and got around fine and then I read that he had passed…
You never know. Bill Fralic looked healthy and got around fine and then I read that he had passed…
I mean he is royalty locally. Hell, ESPN just did a big feature on him and that play and the Steelers who helped launch the NFL over MLB as America's true pastime and passion.
This is stunning, as he was being interviewed as late as yesterday afternoon. Obviously a heart attack. This is reminiscent of Willie Stargell passing on the day PNC Park opened and his statue was being dedicated. But Pops was obviously ill. Franco was otherwise healthy.
Anyone of my age, I mean Franco is one of the icons.
This is stunning, as he was being interviewed as late as yesterday afternoon. Obviously a heart attack. This is reminiscent of Willie Stargell passing on the day PNC Park opened and his statue was being dedicated. But Pops was obviously ill. Franco was otherwise healthy.
Anyone of my age, I mean Franco is one of the icons.
Not so much. Bill had pancreatic cancer and kind of went under the radar. You stopped seeing him at some events that he always attended.
Franco was talking to Chris Russo last night about the Immaculate Reception. One thing about the play I did not know.
Back in 1972, they had the same rule as we have in College Football today. If you hit the ground, the play was over. So Franco said he had to catch the ball in stride and couldn’t dive for the ball. If he dove for the ball and caught the ball, the play was over.
THE RETURN OF FREE MEAL FRANCO | 105.9 The X | Mark Madden
Why the heck is Penn State alumnus Franco Harris in the middle of so many Pitt Hall of Fame pictures?
Maybe we’ll find out, but I don’t think.
I think with the 50 year mark and the fact they were never good before him. Even though 75 was the first piece, they weren’t the Steelers of that era (and forever after) until Franco.
Has a little bit of a complex legacy with Paterno and Harrahs, but people overwhelmingly spoke highly of him.
Great player. Definitely an iconic figure. The whole thing with the Penguins and Paterno soured my perception of him.
My lasting memory was his sheer excitement on the draft stage when he saw Kenny Pickett's name as the Steelers draft pick.
Same here. And what’s a shame I met him twice when I was a kid at a couple random locations. Wasn’t an autograph session or some put on meet and greet. Couldn’t ever have met someone of his stature who was nicer and completely unassuming. And this was while he was still playing.
People rented hotel rooms in wheeling youngstown etc so they could watch the game to get around the black out
I remember one 4th of July, we were on the Northside and walking by the stadium (TRS) and all of a sudden Franco emerges. And we all were like....WOW.........and we went over and talked to him and shook his hands, he was great. Just a normal dude who realized life was good to him and appreciated his fame without being arrogant about it.
I met him in the late 90s some neighborhood on the north side. It was just before a game and we were hanging out throwing football in the street waiting to walk to the game. He was leaving a house and packing up a car to head to the game. He chatted it up briefly. I don’t know if he lived there or knew someone who lived there. But he was very kind and willing to chat for a second.
The real mystery of the Immaculate Reception was that back in those days the NFL had a rule that if a receiver touched a forward pass that a second receiver could not legally catch the ball unless a defensive player touched it first (after the first receiver touched it) ........ so if the ball only hit Fuqua and Harris caught it next, it would have been an illegal catch and the play would have been dead ...... if the ball hit Tatum and Franco caught it next, then it was a legal play ...... if it hit Fuqua first, then hit Tatum and Franco caught it, it was legal ...... who touched the ball right before Franco caught it is still the question .......
And yes, the game was not shown locally on TV ...... I was in a graduate program at Pitt at the time and a group of us drove to near State College and watched the game on TV in a hotel room ...... what a GREAT finish for sure !!!!!!!
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