PITTSBURGH -- Sitting in front of his 22-year-old likeness frozen in the moment of his history-defining play, Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris grinned. He was recounting the tedious process of creating the mold used to sculpt his face for the iconic Immaculate Reception statues that greet visitors at the Pittsburgh International Airport and the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.
Harris remembered breathing through two straws stuck up his nose as dental alginate sat on his face, covering every pore for more than 20 minutes. As the plaster-like material hardened, it captured every wrinkle and crevasse of his face.