Franco Harris’ death came two days before the 50th anniversary of the play The Immaculate Reception for which he became famous; The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Eve, repeating that 1972 clash, with a halftime ceremony to retire Harris’ jersey number 32.
The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Eve, and their Saturday night showdown is dedicated to one of the iconic games in NFL history, the Flawless Reception.
With Pittsburgh trailing 7–6 in the 1972 AFC Division Playoffs against the Raiders and colliding with fourth and tenth on their 40-yard line with 22 seconds left in the game, quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw the ball deep to a running back John. “French” Fuqua. Fuqua and Raiders defenseman Jack Tatum collided and the ball went back into midfield towards Harris.
While almost everyone else on the field came to a halt, Harris continued to spin his legs, snatching the ball just inches off the turf and then passing several stunned defensemen to give the Steelers their first playoff win in the franchise’s four-decade history.
While the Steelers were defeated by the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game the following week, Pittsburgh was well on its way to becoming the dominant team of the 1970s in the NFL, winning back-to-back Super Bowls, the first since 1974. and the 1975 seasons and again after the 1978 and 1979 campaigns, with Harris at the center of these successes.
The Steelers (6-8) and Raiders (6-8) cannot be considered Super Bowl contenders this season, although the winner on Saturday night will enter the AFC wild card race two games before the 2022 regular season. season.
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The Steelers said Wednesday that they will continue to honor Harris and remove his number 32 jersey – as planned – at halftime, with tributes pouring into the Hall of Fame following his untimely death. Here are just a few of them…
Pittsburg Steelers President Art Rooney II: “It’s hard to find the right words to describe Franco Harris’ impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers, his teammates, the city of Pittsburgh, and the Steelers nation.
“From the rookie season, which included the Immaculate Welcome, over the next 50 years, Franco brought joy to people on and off the field. He never stopped giving in many ways. many.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: “He meant so much to Steelers fans as a Hall of Famer running back who helped form the nucleus of a 70s team dynasty, but he was so much more.
