Franco Harris, the NFL Hall of Fame running back whose “Immaculate Reception” was set to be commemorated after 50 years and his jersey scheduled to be retired this weekend, 사망했다.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers star died overnight, his son Franco “Dok” 해리스 confirmed to the Associated Press 수요일에. 그는 ~였다 72.

No cause of death was given, 콘센트보고.

“We have lost an incredible football player, an incredible ambassador to the Hall and most importantly, we have lost one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also affected the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways.”

Harris played for the Steelers from 1972-1983 and the final year of his career with the Seattle Seahawks in 1984, but it was his first year in the league which lives on in football infamy.

During the waning seconds of the AFC divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders, he was perfectly situated to scoop up a deflected ball inches from the ground and run it in for a touchdown, clinching the game for the Steelers, and earning him legendary status in what became known as the “Immaculate Reception.”

“That play really represents our teams of the ’70s,” Harris said after the play was voted the greatest in NFL history during the league’s 100th anniversary season in 2020.

The Steelers went on to become a football dynasty in the ’70s, winning the Super Bowl back-to-back in 1974 그리고 1975 and then again in 1978 그리고 1979.

NS star played in nine Pro Bowls, five AFC championships, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Following his retirement, Harris opened a bakery and his philanthropic work included serving as the chairman of “Pittsburgh Promise,” a college scholarship nonprofit, per the AP.

Harris’s jersey was set to be retired by his former team on Saturday during halftime of the Steelers-Las Vegas Raiders game.

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“It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 연령, that’s a long time,” Harris said in September after the team announced it would retire his No. 32. “And to have it so alive, 알 잖아, is still thrilling and exciting. It really says a lot. It means a lot.”

Harris is survived by his wife, Dana Dokmanovich, and his son.