Steelers fans honor Franco Harris across Pittsburgh with Terrible Towels, gold flowers

PITTSBURGH — On Pittsburgh’s North Shore, a monument pays tribute to one of the greatest plays in NFL history and the man who made it possible, Franco Harris.

At the exact location where the Hall of Fame running back snagged the Immaculate Reception on Dec. 23, 1972, there’s a shoe print and a trio of pillars. People often place their own foot in the same spot, bend down and re-enact the shoestring catch that catapulted the Steelers to the improbable playoff win over the Oakland Raiders. Though the Steelers lost the following week to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, many consider that play the moment a dynasty was conceived.

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On Wednesday, that location in between Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park took on a much more somber tone.

Sue Weber, a season ticket holder in Section 505 and lifelong Pittsburgher, approached in silence with a bouquet of red roses. Without saying a word, the 66-year-old Steelers fan left the flowers in front of the place where Harris’ legend began and walked away, tears welling in her blue eyes.

“I just felt like I had to do something,” she said.

She wasn’t the only one.

Wednesday morning, the city of Pittsburgh woke up to the almost unbelievable news that Harris had died overnight, just days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. He was 72. As the day unfolded, the North Shore monument transformed into a makeshift memorial.

Here at the exact location where Franco Harris made the Immaculate Reception almost 50 year ago, a monument has turned into a memorial.

Fans have left flowers and Terrible Towels to honor a Steelers icon and beloved figure in Pittsburgh.

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 21, 2022

People left flowers of all colors, including at least one gold poinsettia. Many bouquets were wrapped in Terrible Towels. One family placed a stuffed football at the site.

The scene and mood were similar around the city. At Pittsburgh International Airport, the famous statue that depicts Harris making his improbable catch was moved from a dimly lit area in between escalators to the main floor in front of a Christmas tree, where people left behind black-and-gold tributes. A few billboards around the region flashed with a new message: “Immaculate Franco Harris, 1950-2022.”

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Typically, the site of the Immaculate Reception is booming with tailgaters and pregame festivities. Wednesday, an eerie calm swept over the area. People approached almost as if walking up to visit a family member’s gravesite.

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“I cried when I heard the news,” said Weber, who has been looking forward to Saturday’s game with the Raiders for months. “It’s sad. Especially with all the stuff that’s going on this week. Fortunately, he had some celebrations already with many people. I feel so badly for his family. I pray for them.”

Harris viewed the Immaculate Reception through a unique prism. To him, it was more than just one play. It was a series of events coming together so perfectly it almost felt like fate. He explained recently at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh that without coach Chuck Noll’s hiring in 1969, the selection of “Mean” Joe Greene soon after and many perfectly timed breaks, that play never would have happened.

Fifty years ago, it was all so right. Right place. Right time. Right person.

That’s part of what made Harris’ passing even more difficult to process for many. Just a day earlier, he was doing a media tour, sharing stories and his easy smile. Friday, he was supposed to be at this monument at precisely 3:29 p.m. They had it all planned, down to the minute, to honor him exactly 50 years after his catch. During Saturday’s game against the Raiders, he was supposed to be on the field to have his No. 32 jersey retired as the Steelers played the team that became their 1970s rival.

And now he’s gone?

“Shocked and saddened,” 63-year-old Steelers fan and Pittsburgh native Jay Gilbert said, summing up not only his emotions but also those of the entire region.

Over the years in Pittsburgh, Gilbert enjoyed several brief interactions with Harris. He would see the Steelers running back in Oakland or Bloomfield, especially during Little Italy Days. What struck Gilbert most about Harris is that even to those who never knew him especially well, he had such an approachable, friendly nature that he felt like a family member or friend. There’s a reason he’s often referred to by just his first name in Pittsburgh.

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“You can walk up to him, say anything,” Gilbert said. “And he would interact with you. Always with a smile.”

Franco Harris was a humble man, who didn't feel the need to own the history he made.

As we remember the Steelers icon, here's the story of how an insurance salesman snagged the Immaculate Reception ball and why Franco felt he was the right man to keep it.

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 21, 2022

As the day wore on, many more came to visit the monument on the North Shore, which was built soon after Three Rivers Stadium was demolished. Some simply snapped a quick photo and left. One family brought their young, elementary-aged daughter and educated her on the famous play. Others had more personal reflections.

Valerie Jones is an Oakland, Calif., native who fell in love with the Steelers after watching another Hall of Fame running back, Jerome Bettis. She traveled to Pittsburgh for the 50th anniversary celebration with plans to tour the stadium and attend the game. Wednesday, she woke up to four missed calls from her husband, who informed her of Harris’ death.

“I couldn’t even say anything,” Jones said. “I was shocked. I just was like, ‘You’re kidding me.’ I’m still in disbelief.”

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Jones visited the Immaculate Reception site clad head to toe in black and gold, including Steelers gloves, a Steelers mask, a Steelers T-shirt and Steelers earrings. As she posed for a photo with a No. 32 jersey in front of the place where Harris made history, Jones reflected on her own interaction with Harris.

A few years back, she was at the Pittsburgh airport when they reintroduced a restored Harris statue. She was maneuvering around the riser to get a better view of the Hall of Fame running back when she tripped over her backpack. A bearded, 6-foot-2 man reached out his hand.

“He was the first person there to help me up,” Jones said. “I got a picture with him, and he hugged me.”

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“That’s why my husband told me, ‘Oh, you got to go (to the 50th anniversary game),” Jones continued. “Even though the Immaculate Reception I don’t remember — because I was pretty little, and at the time I didn’t watch football — I have my memory of just how nice he was.”

Those are the sentiments that perhaps stood out most Wednesday. Yes, Harris will forever be tied to his Immaculate Reception and the four Lombardi Trophies he hoisted. But even to those who visited the very place where he made that catch, it was his approachable, personable quality that will continue to resonate.

(Photo: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)