Steelers

Steelers across history react to death of Franco Harris, reflect on his legacy

By Patrick Damp

/ CBS Pittsburgh

Former Steelers player Dwayne Woodruff remembers Franco Harris

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Steeler Nation finds itself in a state of shock today as we were all rocked by the news that hall of fame running back Franco Harris has died just days before he was set to have his number retired.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the catch that catapulted the Steelers from perennial losers to dynasty: The Immaculate Reception. 

As Pittsburgh and the world woke up to the news that Harris had died at age 72, reactions began to roll in across football, Pittsburgh, and so much more. 

Steelers Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher said that "we have lost an icon in Franco Harris." The former coach and Pittsburgh native put into perspective what Franco meant to the city. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers franchise has been blessed with talent up and down the roster throughout its history and one of those positions is running back. 

Fellow Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis paid tribute to his fellow Steelers' RB. 

During the Steelers' legendary run in the 1970s, an undrafted player was converted to a defensive back and picked off six passes en route to a victory in Super Bowl XIII.

That player was Tony Dungy and he remembered his teammate Franco Harris. 

He may not have been Harris' quarterback, but Ben Roethlisberger will undoubtedly go down as one of the best in Steelers' history and join Franco in Canton. 

He expressed his condolences and gratitude for Franco on Twitter. 

Another Steelers running back who forever holds a place in team history, Merril Hoge, also put Franco's legacy into perspective on Twitter. 

For the current Steelers, Franco Harris was always on hand at the NFL Draft to help the team announce picks and welcome them to the organization. 

That included current Steelers' tight end Pat Freiermuth, who Harris announced fellow Penn Stater in 2021. 

The last draft pick that Franco announced? 

Current quarterback Kenny Pickett. 

Patrick Damp

Patrick Damp is a web producer for CBS Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh native who grew up watching KDKA-TV, Patrick studied journalism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After half a decade in sports communication, Patrick decided to pursue his dream of working in journalism in his hometown and joined the CBS Pittsburgh team in 2019.

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