Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers whose shoestring catch known as the “Immaculate Reception” in 1972 remains one of the most memorable moments in N.F.L. history, has died. He was 72.
His son, Franco “Dok” Harris, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. No cause of death was given.
Harris’s death comes days before the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” which Mike Tomlin, the current Steelers coach, said this week was “the most significant play in the history of the game.” The Steelers planned to retire Harris’s jersey number, 32, during a halftime ceremony at their game on Saturday.
The 6-foot-2 running back won four Super Bowls with the Steelers as they established themselves as the N.F.L.’s dominant team of the 1970s, and he was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first nine seasons. But it was a single, heads-up play that more than anything defined his career.
On Dec. 23, 1972, the Steelers were trailing, 7-6, in a divisional round playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. With less than 30 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, the Steelers quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, lofted a desperation pass to John “Frenchy” Fuqua, only to see the ball deflect toward the ground. But Harris scooped the ball out of the air just inches from the turf and ran for the game-winning touchdown, a miraculous finish that has been replayed thousands of times since.
“I have to admit that catch keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” Harris told The New York Times in 2012. “When people look back at the great success that the Steelers have had the last 40 years and wonder where it all started, well, it all began right there. If not for that catch, all the success that followed might not have ever happened.”
Five decades later, Harris, who played college football at Penn State, remained one of the most beloved Steelers players, an instantly recognizable face in Pittsburgh. He rushed for 12,120 yards over 13 seasons, 12 of which were with Pittsburgh, and was a linchpin of the Steelers’ most successful era, winning Super Bowls in the 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979 seasons.
The ceremony on Saturday, during halftime of a prime time matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, had already been planned to pay tribute to Harris. The president of the Steelers, Art Rooney II, part of a family that has owned the team since its founding in 1933, said in a statement in September that “Franco’s impact on the franchise would be hard to overstate.”
“My grandfather was once quoted as saying: ‘Before Franco got here, we didn’t win much; Since he got here, we don’t lose,’” he said in a statement.
Harris retired after the 1984 season as the third-leading rusher in N.F.L. history, behind Walter Payton and Jim Brown. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
“We have lost an incredible football player, an incredible ambassador to the Hall and, most importantly, we have lost one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet,” Jim Porter, the president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said in a statement.
Harris was born on March 7, 1950, in Fort Dix, N.J. After graduating from Rancocas Valley Regional High School in New Jersey, he played fullback at Penn State, opening running lanes for running back Lydell Mitchell.
The Steelers drafted him with the 13th pick in the first round of the 1972 N.F.L. draft, and he made an immediate impact, winning Rookie of the Year honors with 1,055 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The Steelers never had a losing record in his 12 seasons, and his career record of 354 rushing yards in Super Bowls stands today.
“All I know is, he’s dependable,” Bradshaw, the Steelers quarterback throughout the ’70s, said of Harris in 1983. “He’s a Rolls-Royce, and since I haven’t seen too many of them driving around the streets of Pittsburgh, it’s nice to know there’s one sitting right behind me on the field.”
Harris remained popular in Pittsburgh, where a statue of his famous catch greeted visitors at the airport. He opened a bakery, Super Bakery, and a fitness gear brand, both based in the city.
Ed Gainey, the mayor of Pittsburgh, said in a statement on Wednesday that Harris “always said yes to helping our food banks, blood drives, and youth sports leagues.”
“He loved this city — and his memory will always be a blessing for the people of Pittsburgh,” Mr. Gainey said.
The Penn State Athletics Department said in a statement, citing his support of the Special Olympics, that Harris was “a blue collar, tough as nails competitor with a philanthropic heart.”
“Franco’s impact in both the Pittsburgh and Penn State communities is far reaching and will continue for years to come,” the statement said.
He played for the Seattle Seahawks in his 13th and final season.
Harris is survived by his wife, Dana Dokmanovich, and his son, Dok, according to The Associated Press.
This is a developing story. A full obituary will be published soon.
