Stephen A. remembers Steelers legend Franco Harris | First Take 

Most people do not know that the very first playoff win EVER For the Pittsburgh Steelers was this IMMACULATE game, the city of Pittsburgh was forever changed..for at least 1 week, the tragic death of Roberto Clemente took place exactly 1 week after this football game, Franco Harris wore the #32, last night the Penguins won...3-2

My grandmas cousin was a DE on those Steelers teams Dwight White

How weird. His rookie year was 1972. Then he passed away at 72 years old. 72 hours before they plan to retire his number.

My prayers goes out to his family, the steelers, and all of the fans worldwide. 🙏

The Steelers became my favorite team for two reasons: They had, what I thought were, the coolest uniforms in the NFL (this was 1971 and I was eight years old). They also drafted a Black quarterback in 1972, which, back then, was a _HUGE_ deal and not just to me. They also drafted Franco that year, but I wasn't old enough yet to recognize the future potential he had. The "Immaculate Reception" locked me in for life. I've been a full-time resident of Steeler Nation for the last 51 years. For all of us, this is truly of a day of mourning and celebration for the life of the man who personified exactly what being a Steeler means. Rest in power, Franco, and thank you from a lifelong fan of the Black and Gold.

Just gives me the chills Steelers are the greatest NFL franchise ever no questions

I became a cowboys fan because of Tony Dorsett playing at the University of Pittsburgh, but Franco Harris and the Pittsburgh Steelers got in my craw when they faced the Cowboys and won. I hated the Steelers, but I respected their tenacity and determination to be great. Franco Harris was a true great player, and I want to express my condolences and appreciation to his family, friends, and teammates that have loved him for all of these years. God Bless.

Very shocked to hear about Franco's passing. I had the honor of working with Franco while in college for a few weeks. He was such a humble warm person. I was very much looking forward to the retiring of his number on the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception on 12/23/22 against the Raiders. The game is going to be a very emotional affair for the city of Pittsburgh and Steeler fans across the globe.

Wouldn't be a Bradshaw without brother Franco Harris ✊✊✊

Salute to a PITTSBURGH STEELERS ICON and HERO! Thanks for the memories and games FRANCO! I think I can speak on behalf of Pittsburgh when I say, WE LOVE YOU!

True Legend !! Thank you Franco Harris #32 🖤💛

I am a die hard Steelers fan and it was very sad hearing our great running back passing on 😔😔😔 may The Almighty rest his soul 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Franco Harris will understandably be remembered for the Immaculate reception. But I'll always remember Franco as a Superbowl MVP and a running back who always found the End Zone in Playoffs and Superbowls. One of the Top 5 offensive NFL performers in the 70's.

One of my favorite players. RIP32

My condolences to the Franco Harris family. The immaculate play will 🐝 always remember Raiders vs Steelers

That's so sad, that he passed before this anniversary. And everyone says he was a great guy off the field.

Rest in peace Franco Harris Steelers Legend

Why would they wait this long to retire his number? This is like the NBA when Bill Russell passed. Give the legends praise while they are here.

Shocked. Loved Franco as a kid and his signature stutter step.

My condolences to his family so sad I didn't know much about Harris but he was a legend of the Steelers Nation he seemed like a good person to

Growing up watching NFL Network a lot, I loved seeing those classic highlights of iconic moments from NFL films. To this day, the Immaculate Reception is the most mind-blowing football moment I’ve ever seen. I was mesmerized when I was 10 watching those mini documentaries about the Steelers. I could only imagine witnessing that happen live

Condolences to the family 🙏🏾 Rest in heaven king. Everyone be blessed ✊🏾

Man just 3-4 more days and he could have possibly seen his jersey retired :(… condolences to his family

May his soul Rest In Peace forever.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

I will say this. Franco Harris is a legend. A man who truly deserves to be admired and celebrated. He will be sorely missed by his family and all football fans everywhere.

Growing up in the burgh Pittsburgh was a baseball town until the moment of the immaculate reception. If I remember the game was blacked out on tv in the Pittsburgh area because the game wasn't sold out. After this game football and the steelers were the most popular sport in pgh.

Sorry for your loss Steelers Nation he was one of the best

He was one of the best football players I had ever saw I was 4 years old when I became a Steelers fan and I will always be a Steelers fan

I offer my condolences and prayers to his family. And I have no idea why this man's number was not already retired. Rest in peace, Mr. Harris.

A very, very sad day for all football fans

May he Rest In Peace and my deepest condolences to his family and friends.

The Immaculate Reception sparked the Steeler dynasty. The Raiders were on the losing end of two historic controversial plays that launched two different teams into their dynasties. The first was The Immaculate Reception and the second was The Brady Tuck Rule fumble.

10 Hall of Fame Players: Greene, Lambert, Ham, Blount, and Shell on defense - Harris, Bradshaw, Webster, Swann, & Stallworth on offense! 1 Hall of Fame Coach: Chuck Noll who brought them all to Pittsburgh! 4 Super Bowls in 6 years! Greatest NFL Team Ever!

Rest In Peace Franco Harris 😢🙏

Totally shocked at the news about Franco! I'm a Raiders fan, but respected Franco! I met him once and he was so nice and sweet to me! Gave me a hug! Wish he would be here to see his jersey inducted! 😞 Feel bad for his wife and son!

LONG LIVE THE LEGEND

I got to get picture with Franco Harris and Oilers tightend Dave Casper in summer of 1981. It was at a football camp in Fairfield, Connecticut. Very nice man he was a class act. Super player super guy.

Rest in peace sir

I just can't stop loving mad dog watching him talk old sports.

Franco Harris is a Legend!

I was 10 & my dad was a Raiders fan, but I loved the Steelers!! It hurts my heart losing Franco🥺

I was Gearing up for Franco's honoring and then He dies. I remember as a teen watching the play. My team was the Baltimore Colts, then in later years the Ravens. Franco didn't play against the Ravens but did against the Colts. Teams were adversaries but not enemies. As a teen I saw the Steelers play at old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. And I remember #32 He was a large Man, a mans man. The Steelers became my second team, I loved there Bethlehem Steel insignia. A lunchbox team.

He will be at that ceremony in spirit !

Life is so precious

*SAS in a very good heartfelt moment and reflecting on life and death* ESPN RU-vid editor: I think this might be a great moment to cut the segment for RU-vid Me: 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ bruh you have one job, one job

Cowboy fans are grieving too. If you witnessed the game as I did it was amazing and the SB games with Dallas were great even though Steelers beat us. So many great players on both teams back in the mid to late 70s.

Franco's Army mourns.

As a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since 1970, I was a little kid just starting to understand the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 70s were a slow rise then all of a sudden Pittsburgh came from nowhere, led by its defense. You did not want to get 2nd or 3rd in long on the early 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers. Not to mention that there wasn't really the passing game like we have now. The first team to win 4 Super Bowls, nobody thought anyone would pass Pittsburgh. I may not be a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I'm a football fan first. And there comes a time when you have to recognize greatness. For anyone who plays, even if they didn't play for your team. I don't know about anyone else, but if I'm fortunate enough to be able to go to the Pro Football Fame Museum, I'll be I'm complete awe the whole time, and several hours after.

I'm sure that it's hard for people elsewhere to understand, but a pillar fell in Pittsburgh yesterday. 🥺

This is the ONLY time espn has mentioned the steelers all year unlike the cowboys who they mention every 5 min

Wow it took them this long to retire his jersey shame on Pittsburgh

Shocking is understatement.

I can't imagine why the Steelers took so long to retire Franco's number. They should have done that years ago.

Hanging out with Franco at his T-Shirt shop across from where I lived on the north side in 77. Sometimes we shoot hoops or just talk.

Gotta admit, it’s a little weird that he started making the news again and instantly died. Steelers legend.

😭😭😭🖤💛

Very well said Steven A. They say Dallas is Americas team ok whatever. But the Pittsburgh Steelers because of this man and others are the WORLDS TEAM!!

The franchise was established in 1933, not 1934.

This sucks man. My his soul rest in peace.

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

#32 RESPECT

It was Coca Cola commercial not Pepsi any Steelers fan knows that. I'm born n raised in Pittsburgh n as a kid would always have a Coke when I went around the stadium.......🤣🤣🤣

People just don't know Franco Harris was good and Pittsburgh Steelers was the best team of all time. Even though I was a Dallas cowboy fan.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Tremendous football player, even better human being.

Most people think about Pittsburgh stellar and Immaculate game and won’t for get all

I loved steelers as a kid because Ben Rothenberg. I never knew who Mr Harris was but rest easy and thank u sir. Ur family 👪 are in my prayers

Seem like only yesterday on my Dallas vs Steelers electric vibration metal board 70's"football game that I was peeling an sticking the number 32 on the Steelers molded plastic man that was designated as a running back. Time flies life is sooo short.

Stephen A Smith was about 5 years old when Franco Harris made that catch. He doesn’t remember squat about it except for seeing it on replays.

Just died suddenly like that? Horrible tragedy. Poor Franco.

Coke, Stephen A, not Pepsi 🤦‍♂️. Steelers were my first favorite team, and loved watching Harris

horrible news to start the day.

It's truly bizarre that Franco Harris dies 2 days prior to a media blitz on the 50th Immaculate Reception anniversary. And obviously he was visibly doing great just 24 hours ago. Is on film yesterday at the Heinz History Museum in Pittsburgh looking great and sounding great. I wonder (speculation here) if Franco may have had late stage heart disease without realizing it, and the breakneck schedule on the last few days ramping up to this anniversary was the final straw on his heart. It's hard to imagine his suddenly busy schedule and his out-of-left-field passing being unrelated.

1933

Wow Molly just reading off the desk…

Mad dog should stay on with Stephen A

ESPN First Take

1:11 to skip Molly

The guy that interviewed Franco asking him about the "honor" of having the Immaculate Reception remembered "100 years later" was rude, and obviously designed to minimize the honor. First, it was 50 years, as in the big celebration planned for the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, which was completely appropriate, and it meant everything to Franco to be getting that honor as well as his jersey retired this weekend.

The Steelers were just about to retire his jersey. Seems like at least 25 years too late...

Franco was the goat no running back has more superbowls

Franco was the 1970s

The Steelers started in 33, not 34. And it was Coke SAS, not Pepsi.

Why did they wait this long to retire his Jersey? That is negligent

A great player, when football was, football

Mean Joe would never drink Pepsi, it was the Coke commercial.

You think they would have retired his jersey years ago

SAS, how do you get co vid after taking clot shot?

10 Hall of Famers.. not 9

I’ll give Stephen A a pass because of the gravity of the situation, but his Steeler fandom is truly suspect. The ball ricocheted off a Steeler player? Joe Greene and the Pepsi commercials? Come on man.

Black and Gold? Wiz Khalifa you should be ashamed of yourself!😂😅

Franco is 4-0 mad dog 4sb in 6 years you mean

We are running out of Good Guys.

Coke, 1933 & The CDC ...Little Stevie for the loss.

"he was the joe greene of the defense"... the most mad dogism of all mad dogisms...

Liked him but hated that famous catch vers O.R wanted O.R t win

hmm smells like a sacrifice to me

I thought the Steelers were black and yellow

Colonization of Italy by Africa created Franco.

Coke!