Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle, Cam Heyward, hosts a podcast called Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. Just one day before the tragic, sudden passing of Steelers great, Franco Harris, he joined Heyward to film a show. Harris regaled Heyward and the listeners with stories of that amazing '70's team. He also shared insight into some of the honors that have been bestowed upon him because of the part he played in that history.
YouTube | Not Just Football with Cam Heyward
During the show, Harris recounted some stories about his famous statute of himself at Pittsburgh International Airport. The statue, installed in 2005 by the Heinz History Center, has become a landmark destination for folks traveling to and from the Steel City. It shows Harris in action, immortalized making the most amazing catch, the Immaculate Reception, the NFL has ever seen. Folks stop every day to take their photo with it.
Steelers' Franco Harris Remained Humble
Harris told Heyward the history center called him to tell him they were planning to erect a statue commemorating the most famous play in football. He didn’t think it would stay up for longer than 6-9 months.
Now that it has been nearly two decades, Heyward asked Harris how often he walks past that statute and says, “Hey Franco, you're looking good there buddy.” Harris chuckled and told him every time he goes through the airport, which was quite often.
Harris went on to say he has a few funny airport stories to share. He told Heyward one time an old football buddy was coming in town to see him and he had landed at the Pittsburgh airport, and was walking off the plane with a Bluetooth earpiece in talking to Harris on the phone when he encountered the statue:
“He called me with this piece in his ear and he's looking at the statue, and he's talking to me while he's looking at the statue and he said, ‘Hey Franco, you know it's interesting the resemblance… Oh hey, Franco, man your shoes are…’ and all of a sudden people start looking at him! He was saying, ‘Hey, friend’ and all of a sudden he noticed like whoops, Franco, people think I'm crazy!”
He was talking to Franco, but since people couldn’t see the earpiece, they thought he was actually talking to the statue.
Harris said that wasn’t the only humorous encounter he had at the Pittsburgh airport. The Immaculate Reception occurred on December 23, 1972. The next morning, Harris was at the Pittsburgh airport to head back home for Christmas. He was walking to his gate and went into one of the airport restaurants. He recalled:
“I feel this chill in the air, the whole Oakland Raiders team is sitting down there. As I walk into this restaurant, I go, ‘Hi’ to everybody and it got really quiet. As I said, the whole Raiders team was just sitting in there. Eventually, one guy came up to say hello to me, Mike Siani, who I knew from the College All-Star Game, but I turned around and got out of there real, real quick!”
Harris went on to say how much he appreciates the meaning of the statue to the city of Pittsburgh and the fans. He said he loves coming through the airport and posing with someone next to the statue.
Steelers Hall of Fame running back, Franco Harris sprints towards the end zone against the Raiders in what would become known as the Immaculate Reception. | Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Franco Harris has certainly left an indelible mark on the city of Pittsburgh. He has become an icon of a different sort. He is more than just a famous player, he was humble and gracious. He always had kind or encouraging words. He always had time for the fans who adored him.
What did Franco Harris mean to you? Have you ever posed with the statue at the airport? Click to comment below!
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