“He was my mom’s favorite player” – Shannon Sharpe reveals how close he was to late ‘honest, humble’ Steelers legend Franco Harris
Franco Harris, the legendary Pittsburgh Steelers running back who's in the Hall of Fame, passed away on December 21 at the age of 72. Harris is a four-time Super Bowl winner. He was best known for his role in the Immaculate Reception, one of the greatest and most controversial plays in the history of the league.
The legendary running back's death was met with sadness all across the league. One of the guys who expressed the most sadness over his death was Shannon Sharpe, a former tight end and co-host of the 'Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" show on Fox Sports.
.@ShannonSharpe remembers NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris:
“He was my mom’s favorite player. I took my 3rd grade pictures in a #32 Steelers jersey. Franco was a great, honest, humble man. I’m better now that I’ve met him, known him & consider him a friend.” https://t.co/UP7H8Z2D0J
“He was my mom’s favorite player. I took my 3rd grade pictures in a #32 Steelers jersey. Franco was a great, honest, humble man. I’m better now that I’ve met him, known him & consider him a friend.”
Franco Harris was one of the best running backs ever
The running back was a first-round pick in the 1972 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He played in the league for 13 years. He spent his whole career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, except for his final year with the Seattle Seahawks.
Harris holds a ton of records and accolades. He won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 70s, was voted the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1972 and also amassed three All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowls. He led the league in touchdowns in 1976 with 14.
The NFL world reacted with sadness to his death, with many ex-teammates and coaches expressing condolences to his family following his passing.
Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception
The Immaculate Reception is a play from the 1972 AFC Divisional Round between the Steelers and the Oakland Raiders. The Steelers were losing the game 7-6 in the final seconds before Terry Bradshaw threw a pass targeting John Fuqua that was broken up by Raiders' safety Jack Tatum.
The deflected ball fell right into Harris' hands, and he ran for a touchdown. It's an iconic play because it's impossible to know if the ball was deflected by Tatum or by Fuqua ((f it was touched by the Steelers' receiver, then the rules wouldn't have allowed Harris to score).
While Pittsburgh lost the AFC Championship Game to the undefeated Miami Dolphins that season, they went on to win four Super Bowls after.