The “Immaculate Reception,” considered the most well-known play in NFL history, was developed by Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is renowned as the most famous space in NFL history. Franco Harris passed away. He was 72.
According to Dok Harris, Harris passed away overnight. The cause of death wasn’t revealed.
The Steelers will retire Harris’s No. 32 jersey at halftime of a game against the Las Vegas Raiders two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that helped elevate the team from obscurity to prominence. Harris’s death also occurs three days before the play’s 50th anniversary.
What happened to Franco Harris?
Former running back Franco Harris suddenly went at 72 just a few days before the “Immaculate Reception,” the play that earned the Pittsburgh Steelers their first playoff victory, was commemorated on its 50th anniversary.
The Associated Press received confirmation of Harris’ passing on Wednesday from Dok Harris. Harris’ cause of death was unknown at the time.
Who was Franco Harris?
On December 20, 2022, Franco Harris, an American football player who played fullback for the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL), passed away.
He had a crucial part in one of the most well-known professional football plays, Pittsburgh sportscaster Myron Cope dubbed “The Immaculate Reception.”
He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions before being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft.
The Steelers were his primary team for his first 12 NFL seasons, and the Seahawks were his team for his final and only season. He was honoured with a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 1990.
Franco’s Early life
Harris was born in the New Jersey town of Fort Dix. His father, Cad Harris, was in the military during World War II and was stationed in Italy. After the war, his mother, Gina Parenti Harris, an Italian native who subsequently married an American, moved here with her husband. Harris graduated from Mount Holly Township, New Jersey’s Rancocas Valley Regional High School, in 1968 and went on to Penn State University.
Although Harris ran for 2,002 yards and 24 touchdowns while a member of the Penn State Nittany Lions, he primarily served as a blocker for All-American running back Lydell Mitchell. He also averaged almost 5 yards per carry. He also grabbed twenty-eight passes for 352 yards and another score. He led the club in scoring during the year 1970.
Franco Harris cause of death
Possibly the most incredible touchdown in NFL history was scored by Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, who passed away at age 72. According to Harris’s son Dok, his father passed away overnight.
Harris died just two days before the “Immaculate Reception,” regarded as one of the most famous plays in the history of the National Football League and the game-winning touchdown that gave the 1970s Steelers their first postseason victory, was commemorated on its 50th anniversary. The Harris family made a statement on his passing. Death has not been ascribed to a precise cause.
Professional career of Franco Harris
According to The Sporting News and United Press International, Harris won the league’s Rookie of the Year title in his first season with the Steelers (1972). Throughout that season, he ran the ball 188 times for 1,055 yards, averaging 5.6 yards.
He scored scores four times through the air and ten times on the ground. His fans, who went by the name “Franco’s Italian Army” and included “Brigadier General” Frank Sinatra, wore army helmets with his number on them. The huge Italian-American community in Pittsburgh liked him.
Super Bowl IX’s Most Valuable Player award
From 1972 through 1980, Harris made it into nine straight Pro Bowls. He was also selected as an All-Pro in 1977. Harris amassed more than 1,000 rushing yards in eight seasons, breaking Jim Brown’s previous mark. With the aid of a strong defence after the 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979 seasons, the running back tandem of Harris and Rocky Bleier helped their club win four Super Bowls. On January 12, 1975, he helped his team upset the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 by running for 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 attempts. He was given the Most Valuable Player award for Super Bowl IX. Harris became the first Italian-American and African-American to win the Super Bowl MVP award.
Steelers’ Super Bowl history
Harris was vital to the Steelers’ first four Super Bowl triumphs. His four running touchdowns throughout his career are tied for the second-most in Super Bowl history, and his 101 carries for 354 yards in Super Bowls broke records.
Harris was the only player to score a touchdown in each of the Steelers four Super Bowl victories in the 1970s. Harris claims that by avoiding pointless contact, he extended his career and, in turn, his contribution to the team’s objectives (including four Super Bowl triumphs).
Harris became the player with the most career rushing yards while still active after O. J. Simpson retired following the 1979 campaign. After the 1983 season, Harris asked the Rooneys for a pay raise since Walter Payton and Harris were set to break Jim Brown’s NFL running record. Because they believed Harris’ career was in decline, the Rooney family declined, but Harris resolved to hold out. During training camp in 1984, Harris was released by the Steelers. For the 1984 season, he later signed with the Seattle Seahawks. He played for the team for eight games before retiring, totalling 170 yards—192 fewer than Jim Brown’s record.
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