Franco Harris, who caught the legendary “Immaculate Reception” for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1972 AFC Divisional playoffs against the Oakland Raiders, has died.
Harris was 72 years old.
Harris’ death comes just two days before the 50th anniversary of the catch, which happened with the Steelers trailing the Raiders 7-6 with 22 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw the ball deep, two Raiders collided and sent the ball toward Harris, who somehow caught it before the ball hit the turf. The running back outran every Oakland defender and gave the Steelers their first playoff victory in franchise history.
“The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is immensely saddened today,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement provided by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. “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. Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also affected the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways. The Hall of Fame and historians everywhere will tell Franco’s football story forever. His life story can never be told fully, however, without including his greatness off the field.”
During his 12 seasons in Pittsburgh, Harris amassed 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowls with the Steelers during the 1970s, including back-to-back championships in 1974 and 1975 as well as 1978 and 1979. He won the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1972 and racked up at least 1,000 rushing yards eight times in his career.
The Steelers were set to honor Harris by retiring his number Saturday during their Week 16 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
