Pittsburgh, 22 December 2022– If you are a football fan of about my age or older, I have news that is going to break your heart. Steelers Hall of Famer Franco Harris has died. He was 72 years old. His death comes just days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception and just days before the team was scheduled to retire his number 32.
He played for the Steelers from 1972 to 1983. He was of course most famous for this one play the Immaculate Reception as the Steelers won their first playoff game again. It was 50 years ago this week, December 23 of 1972. If you know anything about football, you have seen this time and time again.
There was a statue of it in the airport in Pittsburgh. When you arrive it was voted the greatest play in the history of the National Football League. But Franco Harris was so much more than just one player. At the time of his retirement, he was the third all-time leading rusher in the history of the sport behind only Jim Brown and Walter Payton.
He was the heartbeat of the offense of teams that won four Super Bowls among the greatest dynasties in the history of American sports. You see the rest of the accomplishments there.
He was the MVP of the first Super Bowl that they won against the Vikings in which he outrushed the entire Vikings team 158 to 17. He was a Hall of Famer and trying to 1990 again, the news is sad and it is just coming into our newsroom that Franco Harris has died at the age of 72.
We do not have word yet on the cause of death. Again, there are so many people that we would love to talk to about this. This was at a time when there were very few one-name stars. If you were a football fan in the 70s You didn’t need to hear the last name Franco Harris was more than enough.
