It feels like the whole world is mourning the passing of Pittsburgh Steelers great, Franco Harris. Certainly, all of Pittsburgh is reminiscing, with every local show covering his life. Today, Steelers super fan, Seth Meyers, called into the Cook and Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan to share his experience with the football icon.
MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 01: NFL Hall of Fame player Franco Harris poses on the Red Carpet prior to the NFL Honors on February 1, 2020 at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, FL. (Photo by Rich Graessle/PPI/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Fan is the local sports radio station in Pittsburgh and one of their shows is hosted by two Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports columnists - Ron Cooke and Joe Starkey. The entire show today has been sharing tales about Harris and his tremendous impact on Pittsburgh and the game of football.
Steelers' Franco Harris Lived Up to the Hype
Today, Meyers called into the show and asked producers if he could share his experiences with Harris with the listeners. Meyers is known for being a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live, especially for the Weekend Update segment and now hosts Late Nights with Seth Meyers. Meyers's father is from Pittsburgh originally and while Meyers did not grow up in Western Pennsylvania, he was raised to be a die-hard Steelers fan. He routinely does bits about the Steelers and the roller coaster ride fandom can be on his show.
Meyers told Cook and Joe that in 2014, he was hosting the NFL Honors and he talked during his monologue about being a Steelers fan. Harris and his wife Dana were in attendance and they sent word that they would like to meet Meyers after the show. Meyers said he was excited, but worried he would feel let down:
“You meet your heroes at your own peril,” he quipped.
But he said that Harris was exceptionally friendly and modest. After they exchanged pleasantries, Harris gave Meyers his phone number and told him next time he is in Pittsburgh that he should call him and they could have dinner.
Meyers found himself in Pittsburgh that next October for a game and debated about calling Harris or not:
“Am I really going to text Franco Harris and see if he was for real about this dinner? And he was.”
Meyers said that Harris, Dana, their son Dok, as well as Meyers's parents and brother all went out to dinner. He said it felt so special that he was willing to share his family with him:
“Obviously he told us all the stories and I was watching him and listening and I realized how many times over the years he’d given this gift to people - telling them the stories they want to hear.”
He said Harris was so kind that when Meyers’s father was recounting where he had been during the Immaculate Reception, Harris exclaimed, “Oh wow, no way!” As if that was the interesting part of this tale - not the unbelievable play Harris had been a part of.
“He was a great guy, a warm guy, obviously a small sample size of one dinner with the man, but you could tell he was a loving husband and loving father - it was a cool thing to see.”
Cook said that his experience with Harris was the same, that everyone who shares a story about Harris tells the same tale - he had a handshake and a smile for everyone.
“I did an event at the White House in 2011 and my parents got to come and meet the President and the First Lady. After that dinner, my dad said he thought it was pretty cool that my son introduced me to the President of the United States, but I never dreamed he would introduce me to Franco Harris.”
Meyers said it became kind of a joke in the family, that meeting Harris meant more to his dad than meeting the President.
PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 3, 1974: Running back Franco Harris #32 of the Pittsburgh Steelers carries the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles November 3, 1974 during an NFL football game at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Harris played for the Steelers from 1972-83. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
He said Harris loved telling stories about his teammates and you could see the warmth of his heart behind it. He loved playing for the Steelers, and even if they didn’t get along all the time, he loved his teammates.
Meyers said that the amazing thing about Harris was that he not only lived these things, but he was an amazing storyteller. He was able to pass on this oral history of his experiences in a way that made them meaningful to the listener.
He shared one last, very funny, tidbit from his dinner, saying Harris told him:
“[Jack] Lambert came up to him during training camp and said, ‘They should have taken me in the first round.’”
As fans, we are blessed to have had a player like Franco Harris on our team. He is the kind of athlete than transcends a sport or a team name to touch people all over the world. His kindness and compassion made the world a better place.
What is your favorite Franco Harris story? Do you remember him yourself or have you heard that “modern mythology” from your family? Click to comment below!
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