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Pittsburgh Steelers host powerful number retirement ceremony for Franco Harris
By Ethan Stone
Published:
The Pittsburgh Steelers retired iconic running back Franco Harris’ No. 32 jersey Saturday night. The team held the ceremony at halftime of their 13-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Harris sadly passed away in his sleep at the age of 72, just 3 days before the anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” the famed catch that spearheaded Pittsburgh’s first franchise playoff win. He was set to attend Saturday’s number retiring before passing on Dec. 20, 2022.
The Steelers played a tribute video to Harris on the jumbotron across the stadium, but NFL Network cut away to commercial. You can find the video tribute at the 6:50 mark of the livestream below:
LIVE: We honor the life and career of the late Franco Harris with the retiring of his #32 jersey at halftime.
Watch the second half of #LVvsPIT on @nflnetwork https://t.co/xLzJG5miYd
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 25, 2022
An emotional moment in Pittsburgh as Franco Harris’ #32 jersey is officially retired. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/cpbufU6qgG
— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2022
The former Penn State Nittany Lions running back totaled 12,120 rushing yards and 91 touchdowns across his 13 years in the NFL. He spent 12 years with the Steelers and 1 year in Seattle with the Seahawks.
Harris is a Hall of Famer, a 9-time Pro Bowler and a 4-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers. He rushed for at least 650 yards in every season he saw more than 75 carries, with his best season coming in 1975 with 1,246 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.