Coincidence sometimes makes things bad. Three days before the Pittsburgh Steelers retired his jersey, legendary Steelers running back Franco Harris died at the age of 72.
• Also read: Lamar Jackson is still conspicuous by his absence
• Also read: Matthew Bergeron will skip the Syracuse Bowl
Harris’ cause of death is currently unknown, but the Hall of Famer was scheduled to be in Pittsburgh this weekend.
The Steelers meet the Raiders on Saturday, and the NFL wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famous game “Immaculate Reception” that Harris made famous during his rookie season on December 23, 1972.
Back then, the same two teams faced each other in a playoff match, and the Raiders seemed to be racing into the Conference Finals with a narrow 7-6 lead.
In the closing seconds of the game, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass at John “Frenchy” Fuqua, but defenseman Jack Tatum got in his way. The ball bounced far back and Harris grabbed it low to the ground to run toward the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
Controversial game
In 2020, the NFL’s centennial year, the Immaculate Reception was crowned the most significant game in the history of the circuit.
To the point where at the Pittsburgh airport, the first thing that greets visitors is a statue of Harris grabbing the ball that made him famous.
The game had caused a stir in the NFL because the technical means at the time could not clearly tell whether Fuqua or Tatum had touched the ball. Under the rule, Harris could not recover the pass if his teammate touched the ball first.
There’s also no clear replay to see if Harris grabbed the ball before it hit the ground. Officials determined that the Raiders player touched the ball and Harris picked it up in midair.
That game was the forerunner to the Steelers dynasty, winning the Super Bowl four times in six years in the years that followed between 1974 and 1979, with Harris as the driving force on offense.
Photo archive, AFP
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris in the NFL draft last April.
Much more than a game
If the “Immaculate Reception” made Harris famous, he did more than this game to secure his place among the immortals.
The Steelers’ No. 32 rushed for 12,120 yards, ranking 15th in NFL history. At the time of his retirement, he was third all-time. He is 11th in running backs with 91 rushing touchdowns.
Again and again he shone in the playoffs with 17 touchdowns in 19 games. In Super Bowl 9 against the Minnesota Vikings on January 12, 1975, he was named the game’s most valuable player with 158 rushing yards and a touchdown.
In four Super Bowl games, the fullback set a record for 101 carries for 354 yards. He scored a touchdown in each of those games.
A rare honor
Though the Steelers franchise is steeped in history, only two players have retired so far, “Mean” Joe Greene’s 75 and Ernie Stautner’s 70.
Number 32 has never been worn by another player since Harris left. Some other legends’ numbers have also not been worn without being officially retired.
This is especially true for Terry Bradshaw (12), Jerome Bettis (36), Troy Polamalu (43), Mel Blount (47) and Mike Webster (52).
“I am delighted to honor Franco by retiring his number 32 jersey. This marks the 50th anniversary of a memorable game that changed the course of our history in 1972. Franco’s impact on our franchise is hard to imagine December is the right time to recognize his remarkable career,” said team president Art Rooney II at the announcement in September.
It is infinitely sad that this moment does not take place in the presence of Harris.
Do you have any information about this story that you would like to share with us?
Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?