RIP Franco Harris

Long time Steeler fan here. I have lived in Kentucky all my life, and just wanted to share my one of my greatest childhood memories (which includes Franco)!

I was 12 years old when the Evansville Aces basketball team's plane crashed in 1977, killing everyone on board. Being only about 40 miles from Evansville, our entire community was devistated. Franco & several other Steelers (including Jack Ham & L.C. Greenwood) volunteered to play a benefit basketball game against some of the former Aces players.

I remember being able to just go down to courtside with my Mom's Polaroid camera. At one point, Franco came running down the court, right in my direction, I snapped a pic, and Franco was coming so fast, he had to jump right over my head! The photo is long gone, but the memories remain!

Rest in Peace #32

https://sports.yahoo.com/night-franco-harris-brought-joy-161520301.html

 

Very sad day indeed. I was in HS and the game was not locally televised. I was at the local bowling alley and we listened on radio and after Stabler ran it in, we all headed home. Got home and my mother says the Steelers won. No way. Rest is history.

This though brings back memories of New Year's day, the day the real music died when I woke up after celebrating the night before only to find out that Clemente had died in a plane crash. The true icon of Pittsburgh. That was tough. This is equally tough too in that there was no warning of Franco's health nor an accident. Just went to bed evidentially and never woke up.

In some ways, we know a torch was passed from Clemente to Stargell but another piece of that torch was passed to Franco too in my opinion and he was able to carry that for some 50 years extolling the virtues of not only the Steelers but the city of Pittsburgh.

I was just in the Steeler's pro shop this past weekend and picked up a couple of 50th anniversary gifts for my kids to remember the event. I passed on the Franco T-shirt and now I regret it. I was thinking about the autographed football that was there but the cost was more than I could afford. Only now, there will not be any new autographed items from Franco. Luckily, a friend of mine got Franco to sign a football for my son about 30 years ago and we still have it.

Franco is just one of those icons, especially in Pittsburgh. Remember, contrast Franco and what they are saying about him all day to the modern day athlete and how they carry themselves. Franco stayed out of trouble and it was never about him but the team in general. It will be a real bittersweet game for me on Saturday night.

RIP Franco!

 

I don’t think Bradshaw is in great health right now either unfortunately. Next few years are going to be tough as we lose more and more of that generation. Getting old sucks.

 

RIP Franco

Like Mean Joe Greene said the Steelers didn't start winning until they got Franco.

 

Nice Franco story:

Franco in his rookie year was walking through north side to the stadium for practice

A coach driving by saw him and offered a ride

A coach asked why he wasn’t driving Franco said he didn’t have a car because he didn’t have any money

Coach asked what he did with his signing bonus

Franco said “I gave it to my mother”

 

Tell us a front line civil war story next time.

At least we still have JEH

 

https://www.wtae.com/article/biden-franco-harris-death/42310222

I'd never heard this story before. I'm not sure anybody ever made it public before now. Gotta love the Chief, Franco, and Rocky.

Seriously, the only part of this that surprises me at all is that Bleier never shared the story.

 

At that point I was in Prussia

 

This one got me. Like Roberto.

 

R.I.P Franco

 

I shed a tear when I heard Franco passed away, what is more upsetting is that he was supposed to be honored on Saturday so it is really hurts he will not be there to be honored and have his jersey retired

Rest in peace Franco, one of the greatest Steelers ever!

 

My wife and mother in law met Franco Harris at a fundraiser back in 2004. They said that he was one of the kindest gentlemen that they’ve ever met. All class. From a Browns fan, RIP to one of the all time greats.

 

You will be missed. LEGEND !!!

 

I wore my Steeler jersey golfing to honor him. I went to a Par 3 course and on the front side a guy said to me,"you sure are missing the short putts. I was making sure when I putted out on hole #9 I finished with a 32.

 

https://triblive.com/sports/joe-gre...ate-franco-harris-is-like-having-a-nightmare/

 

RIP Franco, from the days where you had to be a man to survive 12 years as a RB.

 

Thank you all for the great stories about a great player and an even better man. It really hadn't hit me until I read all your posts, but honestly I'm typing this now with some tears in my eyes.

I had just updated my avatar this week in honor of the upcoming anniversary celebration. The picture was just this past August at HOF. He seemed to be in good health and even led a conga line around the room at that party.

Anyone who was lucky enough to meet him seems to have the same story of how humble and nice he was. I doubt he even knew how many people he touched with the genuine respect for humanity he embodied. What a legacy to leave behind!

I can't begin to imagine how hard this must be on his family and I send prayers for them.

 

Great man, great football player that let his play do his talking. Always hated how Jim Brown **** on him about running out of bounds when he was closing in on his record. Prolonged his career and was a smart situational football player!! RIP my man!!!

 

Jim Brown was an amazing football player and a total badass. He is also a terrible person. Say what you want about comparing them as football players, but as human being, Harris was way out of Brown's league.

 

I was going to mention that. If you recall, Brown challenged Franco to a 40 yard run and maybe some other stuff but I can't remember the whole thing. It was on TV and all I remember is that Franco smoked him. Wasn't even a contest. Brown was upset that Franco was going to break his rushing record and he could not stand it and constantly put Franco down about his running style. Franco killed him. Brown never said anything about Franco after that. Just a shame that he did not break that record. That is on the Steeler management. I believe Franco wanted like 750 and the Steelers were offering around 500. Seems trivial in today's market. He deserved to retire as a Steeler. Big mistake by the organization.

 

He had nothing left. He wasn't getting the record. Look what he ended up doing in Seattle that year.