Legendary Steelers RB The death of Franco Harris at the age of 72

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Franco Harris

Franco Harris, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a former running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, passed away. He was 72. The news of Franco Harris’ passing comes only a few days before the Steelers’ commemoration of the “Immaculate Reception” on its 50th anniversary. On December 23, 1972, while playing against the Oakland Raiders, Harris performed one of the most famous plays in the history of the National Football League (NFL). He swooped in and intercepted a pass that was meant for John Fuqua and snatched it away from the ground before it could fall.

The ball was recovered by Franco Harris, who then ran it in for the game-winning touchdown with only a few seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Before falling to the unbeaten Miami Dolphins in the AFC championship game, the Steelers prevailed in the divisional playoff game by a score of 13-7.

According to Franco Harris’s son Dok, who spoke to the Associated Press about his father’s passing, Harris died away sometime during the night. At this time, the cause of death remains unknown.

At halftime of the game between the Steelers and the Raiders on Saturday night, the Steelers will hold a ceremony to recognize Harris’ play in recognition of the fact that the Raiders would be visiting Pittsburgh that evening. The legendary number 32 that Harris wore will likewise be taken out of circulation by the squad.

Harris entered the league as a rookie in 1972

The play that Franco Harris made is considered to be among the most iconic in NFL annals. (according to the NFL), Harris entered the league as a rookie in 1972

Due to Harris’s remarkable performance, he was inducted into the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers despite just being a rookie at the time. Even though he ran the ball 188 times for 1,055 yards over 14 games in his debut season with the club in 1972, almost no one recalls those running yards or his 10 rushing touchdowns from that season. He played for the team in all 14 games.

During his 11 seasons with the Steelers, eight of those seasons saw Harris carry for more than 1,000 yards. As a first-year player, he rushed for an average of 5.6 yards per carry and led the league in running touchdowns with 14 in 1976. Harris concluded his career with 12,120 running yards and 91 touchdowns. He played for Pittsburgh for 12 years before moving on to Seattle for one season. In the year 1990, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Franco Harris a member of the Nittany Lions

Harris’s undergraduate career was spent at Penn State, where he was a member of the Nittany Lions football team. In 1972, the Steelers used the thirteenth overall choice in the NFL draft to choose Harris. Harris carried for more than 600 yards in each of his three seasons on the field for the Nittany Lions and scored a total of 25 touchdowns while playing in the backfield with Lydell Mitchell.

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