Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Franco Harris, Pro Football Hall of Fame member and the "reception" piece of the famous Immaculate Reception, died overnight Wednesday, Harris's son, Dok, told the Associated Press. No cause of death was given. He was 72 years old.
The Steelers were set to retire Harris’s No. 32 jersey Saturday as part of a ceremony honoring the 50th anniversary of the Reception—an event the team announced in September. On Dec. 23, 1972, with 30 seconds remaining in a game against the Oakland Raiders, Harris caught a deflected pass and ran for a touchdown, a 60-yard play that gave the Steelers a 13-7 win for its first playoff victory in team history.