Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488968
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M JOE KRENTZMAN & SON, INC. • Buyers and Brokers of Steel, Iron and Nonferrous Metals • Industrial Scrap Buyers • Container Service Available • Large Service Territory Since 1903 Lewistown, PA • Hollidaysburg, PA • DuBois, PA (800) 543-2000 • www.krentzman.net F irst i n S cra p M AT T H E R B | M A T T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M Franco Harris, the former Penn State running back who helped fuel the Pitts- burgh Steelers' rise to NFL supremacy in the 1970s, died Dec. 21, just days before the 50th anniversary of his most legend- ary moment. He was 72. Harris was to have his No. 32 jersey re- tired by the Steelers ahead of their Dec. 24 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The game was a rematch of the teams' playoff meeting in 1972, which ended when Harris scooped up a deflected pass just before it hit the turf and raced to the end zone to give the Steelers a 13-7 vic- tory. The "Immaculate Reception," as it came to be known, is widely viewed as the starting point of a dynastic run in which Pittsburgh went from perennial also-ran to four-time Super Bowl champion. Team president Art Rooney II, grand- son of longtime owner Art Rooney, said when the Steelers announced they would be retiring No. 32 that Harris had "changed the course of our success." "My grandfather was once quoted as saying: 'Before Franco got here, we didn't win much. Since he got here, we don't lose,'" Rooney said. "I think that sums it up pretty good." Harris' accomplishments, both at Penn State and in Pittsburgh, were nu- merous. The Fort Dix, N.J., native rushed for 2,002 yards and 24 touchdowns in three seasons with the Nittany Lions, teaming with Lydell Mitchell to form one of the nation's most dynamic backfields. In 1972, Pittsburgh selected him with the 13th overall pick in the draft. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year that sea- son and went on to rush for 12,120 yards and 91 touchdowns over a 13-year pro career. Harris was a key part of Steelers teams that won Super Bowl titles in 1974, '75, '78 and '79 and was a nine-time Pro Bowler. In 1990, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Harris maintained close ties to Penn State after his graduation and was one of Joe Paterno's most vocal support- ers after the longtime Nittany Lions coach was ousted in November 2011. Penn State's current head football coach, James Franklin, lauded Harris as a great sportsman, calling his death "a huge loss for football in general — col- lege football, the NFL, Penn State and really Pennsylvania. "But more important than that, he was just an unbelievable human being," Franklin added. "He was really an am- bassador for the university and the foot- ball program. He was a servant leader." Penn State athletics director Patrick Kraft eulogized Harris as one of the game's all-time giants. Kraft grew up in Libertyville, Ill., far from Pittsburgh, but Harris' football exploits made an im- pression on him. "Franco Harris was a legendary figure, who I was always enamored with," Kraft said. "When I was blessed to join the Penn State family earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to get to know Franco and his wife, Dana, very well. "They have been so gracious with their kindness and support. Franco was known for his grit and unrelenting style on the field, but his compassion, warmth and generosity off the field will leave a lasting impression on me. I am heartbro- ken for all who loved him. We have lost a true legend and friend." ■ After three seasons at Penn State, Harris became a key part of a Pittsburgh dynasty that won four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s. BWI FILE PHOTO PSU, Steelers Great Franco Harris Eulogized As 'Legendary Figure'