Franco harris taking about Steeler nation

http://www.fancaster.com/mediadetai...title=Franco+Harris+Hall+of+Fame+Running+Back

Franco was always a class act.

 

If he were on the board tonight I would still wanna take him. All you old geezers that got to see him play have at least one thing going for you. You got to see him play.

 

If we got to see them all play, do we have more than one thing going for us?

 

Absolutely! But that's all. LOL.

 

Yes, I distinctly remember seeing him running out of bounds to avoid contact during his last few years.

 

Yeah, but before that, he could deal it out himself at times. Occasionally, he could outrun them! No jump-cuts necessary. Put his head down, lower the shoulder, and go!

 

Oh yeah, he was great. But at the end there it was painful to watch. He was clearly ducking OB anytime anyone was near him.

 

I actually heard him talk about running out of bounds and Jim Brown was saying that he was weak for doing that but he said that he thought it was smart and extended his career by limiting contact. You are a Franco fan though right? You're just strictly criticizing his later years?

 

I don't know if he did it all the time or just later on (I seem to remember a story that the coaches weren't sold on him for that reason when he first arrived). But Franco was a smart runner - while he could certainly deal it out, the key to his success was his grace and his smarts.

 

Of course. Who isn't and how could you not be?
It just is what it is, the guy bailed OB toward the end of his career. A lot. I guess it was smart as it may have extended his career, but its still the truth.

 

I thought so I just was making sure. I think, if I'm not mistaken, that I saw him talking about running out of bounds on that 100 greatest players thing and Jim Brown was saying that it's a sign of weakness to run out of bounds and Franco defended himself by saying that he wasn't going to get any more yards so why take unnecessary contact. But wasn't it Walter Payton whose main rule of thumb was "never run out of bounds"?

 

Really, Franco is being knocked for running out of bounds? 13 years in the N-F-L as a RUNNING BACK and you want to knock the guy. And what is the longevity of a running back theses days? I don't recall it ever being painful to watch the guy...not the emotion that his running elicited from me, anyhow!

 

blount, I saw him run. You callin me old? ME??
Ha-ha.

 

Well not just old. Also GEEZER! But isn't that a great term of endearment? LOL.