Four-time Super Bowl champion and Pittsburgh Steelers icon Franco Harris has passed away at 72, just days before the fiftieth anniversary of the legendary “Immaculate Reception.”
On Wednesday morning, Harris’ son Dok reported to the Associated Press that his NFL Hall-of-Fame father had passed away suddenly overnight. The cause of death has not yet been determined.
Franco Harris’ sudden passing comes two days before the anniversary of the historic NFL moment he was forever been linked with. During a 1972 divisional playoff clash between the Steelers and then-Oakland Raiders, Harris caught a tipped pass that defied sports physics and ran it in for a game-winning touchdown.
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The play has forever been known as the “Immaculate Reception” and set the franchise on a path of success during the 1970s that has rarely been seen in the NFL, and Harris was a key part in that.
Franco Harris was a part of the 1990 class of the football Hall-of-Fame
While Franco Harris will forever be connected with a specific moment in Steelers history, the New Jersey native had a fantastic career in the league. He won Rookie of the Year honors in his debut season in 1972 and helped the team reach the NFL playoffs for just the second time in franchise history.
The Pittsburgh Steelers did not win the Super Bowl after the “Immaculate Reception,” however, that season was the start of a run of dominance led by Harris and the “Steel Curtain” defense that would include winning four championships five years during the decade. Franco Harris earned Pro Bowl honors in his first nine seasons in the league, and All-Pro honors in 1977.
Franco Harris will go down as the greatest running back in Steelers history after posting 11,950 yards and 91 rushing touchdowns during his 12 seasons in Pittsburgh. In eight of those years, the Penn State standout rushed for over 1,000 yards. He is ranked 15th among the all-time rushing leaders in NFL history with 12,120 yards.