Kworld trend / Franco harris cause of death, The pro football world today mourns the death of FRANCO HARRIS, (Opens in a new window) a man whose football achievements and commitment to team and community achieved iconic status in his adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Franco harris death
Harris died overnight, his family said. No cause was given. He was 72.
“Harris’s loyalty to friends, and devotion to teammates, may be his most striking quality,” observed author Gary M. Pomerantz in this book, “Her Life’s Work: The Brotherhood of the 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers, Then and Now.”
“The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is incredibly saddened today,” Hall President Jim Porter said Wednesday.
“We have lost an incredible footballer, an incredible ambassador for the Hall and, most importantly, we have lost one of the nicest gentlemen anyone will ever meet. Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also impacting the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways,” Porter continued.
Iconic Steelers running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris has died, CBS Pittsburgh reports. He was 72.
Harris’ death was confirmed to the station by his family. No cause of death was given.
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The four-time Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowler was drafted by the Steelers with the 13th overall pick in 1972 after playing for Joe Paterno at Penn State.
During his illustrious NFL career, Harris rushed for more than 11,000 yards with the Steelers, becoming the leading rusher in team history, and was named the MVP of Super Bowl IX.
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris died Wednesday, just days before the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” which many have called one of the greatest plays in NFL history.
The game happened in Harris’ rookie year in 1972. During his career, he would win four Super Bowls with the team over the course of a decade – including being crowned the MVP of Super Bowl IX, the team’s first championship – and becoming inducted into the Hall of Fame the first year he was eligible.
Take a look at the infamous play and what makes it special
Watch the “Immaculate Reception”
LAST about Franco harris cause of death
In the final seconds of the December 23, 1972 AFC divisional round playoff game between the Steelers and Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh was trailing 7-6 when quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass downfield. It ricocheted from a collision between Steelers running back John Fuqua and Raiders safety Jack Tatum and into the hands of Harris, who was several meters behind and corralled the ball just before it grazed the ground. Amidst the chaos, Harris sprinted 60 yards to the end zone for the winning score.
“It’s just a good story. We add a little bit as time goes on because it’s better,” Bradshaw told NFL.com . “I had so much fun messing with him about his blocking and catching the ball. We barely threw the ball to him. It’s just a good story. I’m 74, and I enjoy these stories more than ever.”
“He threw the ball down and automatically in my head came Joe Paterno’s voice of ‘Go to the ball.'” Harris told nfl.com in 2019, referring to his former coach at Penn State University. “That’s what he always told us in college, but in college I never listened.”
Controversy over the catch has persisted over two points: whether the ball touched the ground before. Harris caught it, and whether the ball bounced from Fuqua to Harris, which would have made it an incomplete pass under the rules at the time, or from Tatum to Tatum Harris, which meant it was complete. Without a sophisticated replay system, the game was ruled a touchdown.
Franco harris wiki
Franco Harris (March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional football. Player who played full back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Primarily for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, he won four Super Bowls with the Steelers. He was a key player in one of professional football’s most famous plays. Dubbed the “Immaculate Reception”, which gave the Steelers their first ever playoff win.
After playing college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, he was selected by the. Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft, the 13th overall pick. He played his first 12 years in the NFL with the Steelers; his 13th and final year was spent with the Seahawks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Harris stars in the NFL’s 100th Anniversary commercial recreating the Immaculate Reception with Terry Bradshaw.
