September 9, 2022 • 21 mins
Best of In the Locker Room, week of September 5th - Craig Wolfley and Max Starks share appreciation and their favorite memories of Steelers legend Franco Harris, as it was announced Franco's number 32 will be retired this season as part of the Immaculate Reception 50th Anniversary celebrations in December.
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Speaker 1 (00:14):
He is in the locker room with Wolf and Starks,
presented by her neighborhood Forward Store on ESPN Pittsburgh against
Steelers Nation Radio. Think about it. Twenty two seconds left,
two seconds on December nineteen seventy two. I got the
day correct and all that stuff, but you got twenty
(00:36):
two seconds left. Terry Bradshaw. He calls in the huddle,
full right split sixties six halfback option. Now I know
that play. We ran that play all through the eighties,
but in nineteen seventy two, that was a big one
right there, and Bradshaw rolls to his right. After rolling
to his left or whatever, it goes back and forth,
(00:57):
and he throws the ball down the field and it
carames off of Jack Tatum because it couldn't have been
off of Frenchie, not Frenchman, alright, it couldn't have been
off of him. But it carames off and it goes
seven a half yards back. Now Terry said it was
a frozen rope and elkabong backwards. And who comes along, Oh,
(01:18):
Franco himself, the man, the myth, the legend. Franco Harris
scoops that ball up off his shoetops and I know
it's off his shoot tops because Gad Dukes, if you
go to the Pittsburgh Airport, you see the statue there,
and he's got the ball before it touches the ground,
all right, So that's gotta be what the final de
facto thing, right, Franco does it? So, Max I, I
(01:41):
say to you, it was the most exciting play in
NFL history and certainly the turning point of the Steelers franchise.
And we celebrate that as Franco's number thirty two is
gonna join Ernie Stottner and Joe Green mean Joe Green,
that is, and hanging the number up and it being
fired forever. What say you, my friend? This is a
(02:04):
momentous occasion, wolf Um. When you think about football history,
when you think about some of the greatest plays to
have ever been accomplished by man on the football field,
this is one of those moments. This is when you
see NFL films right the Rights of Autumn, you know,
(02:29):
the legendary booming voice of Pete sable Um back to
John Facenda, Facenda. Okay, once again, I'm sorry. I'm sorry,
I'm not a Linda to the Facenda. Uh No, nice
come back, but but but but thank you for that. Yeah,
(02:51):
you know, yeah, I'm gonna I'm sorry. I'm sorry Steve Sable.
I apologize that Pete Sable Steve Sable brother. Like you know,
Pete Einstein was Alfred Albert. I'm sure there's a Pete
Sable somewhere in the family. But but Steve Sable, I apologize,
and uh, you know, I just it. It gives you
(03:13):
all of the feelings of this is why I love
this game, right moments and this is one of those moments.
The immaculate reception is those keyed phrases, you know, and
just moments that just stand still and they create the
history that is American football. And this is such a
(03:37):
tremendous honor on you know, the fiftieth anniversary here that
a man who was a part of those four Super
Bowl teams had had his own Italian Army, yes, you
know and intra. Now remember Sinatra was included in that. Yes, yes,
I mean anytime you get Mickey blue Eyes to uh,
(04:00):
to be a part of that, I mean, that's that's
something special. Um. And you know he comes from Penn State, right,
I mean he he It's a local legend type of
deal where it's all encompassing when you think of his
his tremendous football career, and I think I think it's
a well deserved honor. And not only for the player
(04:23):
that was Franco Harris and the immaculate reception reception that
was one of the top plays of all time in
the NFL. He also was a community servant. He was
a local businessman. You know, my first interactions with Franco,
you know, I just remember I literally was walking down
(04:44):
the street to a festival at the point. This is
back at two thousand and four festival. I'm at a
festival at the point in front of the hotel there,
and I'm in line. I don't even remember what I
think I was. I think I was at actually at
like a like a Mediterranean food truck type of deal,
(05:04):
and I remember looking food into everything, don't we I don't.
Well yeah, I mean, well listen, life is told their food.
I mean that's just that's just the way our life
path is written. Um. But no, but I was in
this line and I was I was I'm never forget
I was getting I was getting some domas um and
I turned around, I was like, oh my god, this
(05:25):
Franco Harris, and he was, and I went and introduced,
oh you whatever you wanted the new draft picks, right.
I was like, yes, Sir, I am and uh and
he just he introduced himself. I mean, was such a
nice guy. We sat, we talked for a few minutes
and it was just it was just awesome because you know,
for me, even though I am a new quote unquote
(05:47):
professional athlete at that time, like, I'm not thinking the
legends are going to speak to me. You know, we
know who Franko Harris is. I mean, this man is
a Hall of Famer. You know, I don't think he's
he's gonna talk to me what he does. And then
that just that just gave me a different perspective about
how Pittsburgh is different than a lot of other places
(06:07):
and how he is just this tremendous, giving human being.
And then fast forward a couple of years later, he
does it comes to me with an offer with his
baker like, hey, Max, Um, I want to feature community
champions on on a line of donuts. I'm doing yeah
(06:28):
for for kids in school. He's like, what would would
you do me the honor of being on here and
proceeds to go to your foundation at I was floored.
It was like absolutely and then from there, you know,
it's just it's just the giving nature. And every time
I see him, it's always such a grand moment. You know,
(06:50):
it's like two friends that that have missed each other.
And I'm sure you have similar stories, but I had
to share that just as a young guy who wasn't
even born when this play happened, right, but knowing the
significance in the impact it had on the sport that
I love, and being a historian of this game and
wanting to know more about the history of this game instrementous.
In fact, I actually have two photos of the Immaculate
(07:15):
Reception in my house. I have one in my office.
It's George O'Keefe. One that he did a painting of
it um of Franco going down and like kind of
he kind of shouted it to where it looked like
Heaven was shining down on Franco. And then the other
one was actually the physical like still shot photo that
Franco and French chief fuqua Um signed, you know, had
(07:38):
had of course frendch chief phrase I'll never tell so
so so I have both of it. So that's how
significant it is to me that I have both of
those pieces. Um, you know, kind of signifying those two moments.
You know that that one moment in two different ways,
in two different mediums. That's how important is So it's
just it's one of those things that's it's cool to
(08:00):
look back on and that's a part of NFL history.
So I'm proud to be I'm proud. I'm proud to
have those pieces. I'm proud to know the man and
what a well deserved honor for him. Think about this, Max,
You're talking about a play that was voted by the
fans the greatest play in NFL history. Now you go
back to the very beginning of the league and everything
(08:20):
else and all the great plays and all the great
moments that have occurred, but yet this one defining moment,
this moment when the lovable losers that the Pittsburgh Steelers
basically were before two I think they had posted some
around seven only seven winning seasons in the previous years,
(08:40):
and then all of a sudden, it's like, well, as
as the chief said, we didn't we didn't win much
before Franco got here, and we didn't lose much after
Franco got here. You know. I mean, the guy was
pivotal in the turning point of this organization, and his
great humanitarian side equals his great and wonder full, an illustrious,
(09:01):
uh you know, professional football side. And you talk about
the super donuts, I'll tell you touch and I back
years ago. We had an office down in his office
building when we were doing some stuff together years and
years ago. Right, So his his office was on the
floor below us. So I used to sneak down and
go over to his He had a freezer there full
of super donuts and other products, right, So I'd be
(09:23):
hitting up them super donuts almost daily. You got a
little knick knack, you know, a little something that you know,
you got your coffee and stuff. So I go down
and have a couple of donuts, and finally Prink was like, hey, dude,
you're killing me, just killing me. Hey, you know, could
you leave a tep exactly? Hey? Hey, you know over
(09:44):
here he's also so cool and gracious, but said, hey,
wolf Man, how about a little something something you know? Yeah, exactly,
come on, Wolfe. I love the man. The man is
so gracious. I laugh about it. Max. It's It's like, um,
yesterday I was I was mindful when he passed. I
think it was a ten thousand yard mark. And we
(10:06):
forgive me if I've told you before, but even if
I have, so what, it's the story and we just
kind of roll with it. But you think about it.
We ran a flow thirty six. Now, that's me pulling
from the left guard, and it's basically it's a bounce
out around the right tackle to the outside, picking up
the first corner force. Right, So you're out there and
your your cruising. Franco's right on my hip and he's
pushing me, you know. We go all the way to
(10:27):
the sidelines and we crashed out of bounds. Now he
goes over this mark or whatever marker it was ten
or twelve thousand or eleven thousand, I can't remember the yard.
But they stopped the game and they take the ball
and they give it to Franco as that you know,
as a memorial memoriab bilia thing, and he takes it
to the sidelines to Parissy Tony Parissy, the equipment guy. Right.
(10:48):
So I'm in the huddle and I'm like bent over
sucking wind, you know, because I just sprinted to the
outside on a sweeping you know that's big heavy hoofers
we got. It takes a little bit to you know, reload.
So he comes back into the hut after all this
and he looks at me and I'm bed. You know,
he got that that little squeel the weise that's it.
(11:12):
So I'm in there and he goes, he goes, you
fat pig. I ran as far as you did. He said,
I'm not sucking when I looked at him, go that's
because I'm a fat pig. It was hilarious. But it
was that moment that was so great because he went
off and he was acknowledged, and it was such a
great moment. And to be able to have done that
together with him as part you know that happening on
(11:34):
the play and everything. It was just such a great
memory that I have always will have in my mind
about the great Franco Harris. Now absolutely, I mean, I mean,
and I'm sure that we we have fans out there
that that that can talk also about his great but
I mean, he's truly a remarkable human being, um, you know,
(11:56):
a citizen of the world and just a tremendous person.
And you know, and like like you and I were
blessed to call him friends, Um, because he is just
such a remarkable man. I mean, I can't tell you
how many times I've I've been around this country and
people ask, hey, do you know do you know Franco.
(12:17):
You know, he's such an amazing time. This one time,
you know, I was in such and such and Franco
came and said hello. He was so nice and he
talked to us. I mean, he just has that personable,
just exuberant, outgoing, you know, personality about him. He welcomes everybody,
and I mean, I mean he's just I mean, you know,
(12:39):
everybody kids. It's like he's like a politician, but the
endearing way of a politician, as far as the person ability,
the approach ability, the ability to have a hold a
conversation with a person that he knows nothing about and
find commonality within that person and leave that conversation then
and him feeling better about it. I mean, it's he's
(13:00):
just tremendous. I can't say enough good things about Franco
Um because he's such a great man. And blessed, blessed
that you know he gets this, he gets to receive
this honor, and blessed it will both be in attendance
when they when when they retired in the stadium was
that December every day plus one day at Ashur Stadium.
(13:21):
It's a Christmas Eve and you're gonna have a ceremony
like three something or other to the minute. At the marker,
which is out in the parking lot outside of Accreshurch Stadium.
There they got a marker where the very spot the
GPS that where Franco caught the ball. You know, I mean,
it's remarkable. It's sitting out there. You just got this
over by stage a E. There's a you know this
(13:44):
this marker that says right here it happened. You're like, wow,
this is just crazy, because of course I played the
Three Rivers, and I remember Three Rivers very very well,
and you're just trying to put it together with the
dimensions of Acquasher and this and that, and it's it's
just very crazy. But the fact is, you know, I
remember Chuck Noll always preaching to us good things happened
(14:05):
to those who hustle, and I remember, uh, you know
that kind of ringing in my head, and I asked Franco,
I saw him yesterday right down on the south side there,
I says the Franco I says, do you remember that?
He goes, yeah, he says. One of the things that
he remembered was Joe Paterno was another thing too, always
said run to the ball, you know, and Chuck said
the same thing. And that's what caused him because he
(14:26):
was on a hug up Phil Villi Piano was. He
wasn't on a hug up. Villi Piano was on a
hug up with Franco. Franco steps up to block. Right, Well,
Franco is not exactly the most industrious blocker whoever of
Donna Steelers uniform. It's not like it's not like he was.
That was something that he really wanted to excel at.
(14:47):
But the fact is, you know, that's that's the truth.
You know, we used to call him. So Franco released
and he went out to the flat and then you know, think,
and I asked him this, I go, think about this, Franko,
what would have happened? None of well, none of this,
what happened if you you were loafing, you know, let
(15:08):
me just think, if you were loafing, you didn't run
to the ball, you know, you didn't hustle to the ball.
And yet he did, and that's what created the opportunity
to have the greatest singular, greatest play in the history
of the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. Hustle, Hustle,
he gets rewarded. We we talked about it all the time.
I feel like we need to play Hustling by Rick
(15:30):
ross Um. But but I mean, but that's that's what
it's all about. It's about the right time and the
right moment and being ready for that opportunity. And he was.
He sees the opportunity, he was there for it, he
received it, and the rest is NFL history. And like
(15:50):
you said, voted by the fans, the greatest play in
NFL history. That that's that's just remarkable. Think about this,
to my friend, only the third number in the history
of this awesome franchise to be retired. I mean thinking
about you've got Ernie Stout number seventy, Joe Green, now
(16:10):
you've got thirty two Franco harris By. By contrast, you've
got the New York Yankees have retired twenty two numbers. Alright,
So it says something about this franchise that well, first
of all, nobody has worn the numbers since Franco left
the Steelers. Uh you say there are numbers that for
a long time that we're just off limits. Yes, yeah, yeah,
(16:35):
exactly as as as I learned out, I learned about
the forbidden numbers. Really, and think about it, I mean,
only three. So for such a great franchise to only
have three, it says a lot about their desire to
maximize those players that are virtually they are qualified beyond qualification,
(17:00):
you know what I mean. Think about the Hall of
famers that that have that that have passed through this
organization and the fact that you that you literally have
a top three of all of those Hall of famers.
We're talking about the stal Wars of the world, the
Bradshaws of the world, the Swans of the world, and
(17:20):
then even more contemporaries that Alan Fanicas, right, the Jerome Bettises,
the Troy Paula Malus. I mean, there's just so many
tremendous men. Donnie Shells of this world, the Jack Lamber.
I mean, we could go on, in fact that we
could go on and on about these names that have
dawned here and and you have these three and it's
(17:42):
a special moment because it's not like a lot of
other organizations where they retired numbers left and right. No,
you have to earn your stripes. And think about this,
fifty years from that play. Franco Harris's numbers getting retired.
Mean Joe Green, the career that he had, you know,
he was drafted what nineteen seven and d and he
just got his number. I mean, it's it's tremendous to
(18:04):
think of the great men that have passed through here
and the unbelievable honor. It is not only to end
up in the Hall of Honor, but when you get
that jersey retired, that's that's a whole other level. Oh,
it really is, you know what I mean, It's fun
being around these guys. You know, it's like I always say,
I I know greatness because I was in the huddle
with it. You know what I mean. It wasn't great.
(18:27):
I was never great, but you know that was surrounded
by it both uh in the locker room and in
the huddle. And it's amazing when you see these guys
together and they have that opportunity to be together and
kind of relive these moments. And I believe that there's
gonna be some guys brought back. I hope some significant others,
uh that will come back when the Steelers had this
(18:49):
celebration of the Immaculate Reception, I hope that you get
a number of people that come out for it, you know,
just just to reload. I mean, I hope Terry can
come in. I hope that you know that you got
the John colp here in town. Is a bunch of
the other guys that the that they can celebrate this
moment because it was such an incredible moment in the
(19:11):
history of the Steelers franchise. And think about it, the
chief didn't even see the play. I mean, this is
a play. This is a time and space that is
so iconic. I mean, I I think I've there's two
two things. I think the most people I've I've talked
to have been seems like everybody's been to Woodstock and
everybody saw the Immaculate Reception, which both are not true, right.
(19:35):
I Mean, there's just far too many people who say
that they were at Woodstock, and far too many people say, oh,
I was at Three Rivers when I don't know. I
don't know about that. But the fact is, it is
such a huge part of even even you know NFL history.
But American history. People talk about where they were and
what they where they saw it, if they saw it
(19:56):
on a game, which you know even then there was
there was a bowl uh in the NFL back then
because even during sold out games, they blacked out a
lot of the TV, so it was difficult to find. Yeah,
now it absolutely was that. You know, it's one that
even the cameras couldn't catch up to it fully, right,
(20:17):
you know this is the moment where we don't have
the all twenty two. It is did a very different
era where you actually had cans of film and you
had what sixteen millimeters? Am I correct? In the I
the RealAge and even I mean it's funny you talk
about uh, you know Mac right, Bob McCartney, Ry Steelers,
(20:41):
the infamous story that Mac you know, well, you know
he had he had ran out of he ran out
of real film. Um, he he brought he brought four
cans up, four cans went back down, and from that
day for they always had six after that. Uh. Indeed,
my friend, yeah, it's it's roll on, my friend. We
(21:02):
gotta go to break. So I'm gonna ask you right now,
what does the immaculate reception and free solo have in common. Oh,
stick around. We are SNR
He is in the locker room with Wolf and Starks,
presented by her neighborhood Forward Store on ESPN Pittsburgh against
Steelers Nation Radio. Think about it. Twenty two seconds left,
two seconds on December nineteen seventy two. I got the
day correct and all that stuff, but you got twenty
(00:36):
two seconds left. Terry Bradshaw. He calls in the huddle,
full right split sixties six halfback option. Now I know
that play. We ran that play all through the eighties,
but in nineteen seventy two, that was a big one
right there, and Bradshaw rolls to his right. After rolling
to his left or whatever, it goes back and forth,
(00:57):
and he throws the ball down the field and it
carames off of Jack Tatum because it couldn't have been
off of Frenchie, not Frenchman, alright, it couldn't have been
off of him. But it carames off and it goes
seven a half yards back. Now Terry said it was
a frozen rope and elkabong backwards. And who comes along, Oh,
(01:18):
Franco himself, the man, the myth, the legend. Franco Harris
scoops that ball up off his shoetops and I know
it's off his shoot tops because Gad Dukes, if you
go to the Pittsburgh Airport, you see the statue there,
and he's got the ball before it touches the ground,
all right, So that's gotta be what the final de
facto thing, right, Franco does it? So, Max I, I
(01:41):
say to you, it was the most exciting play in
NFL history and certainly the turning point of the Steelers franchise.
And we celebrate that as Franco's number thirty two is
gonna join Ernie Stottner and Joe Green mean Joe Green,
that is, and hanging the number up and it being
fired forever. What say you, my friend? This is a
(02:04):
momentous occasion, wolf Um. When you think about football history,
when you think about some of the greatest plays to
have ever been accomplished by man on the football field,
this is one of those moments. This is when you
see NFL films right the Rights of Autumn, you know,
(02:29):
the legendary booming voice of Pete sable Um back to
John Facenda, Facenda. Okay, once again, I'm sorry. I'm sorry,
I'm not a Linda to the Facenda. Uh No, nice
come back, but but but but thank you for that. Yeah,
(02:51):
you know, yeah, I'm gonna I'm sorry. I'm sorry Steve Sable.
I apologize that Pete Sable Steve Sable brother. Like you know,
Pete Einstein was Alfred Albert. I'm sure there's a Pete
Sable somewhere in the family. But but Steve Sable, I apologize,
and uh, you know, I just it. It gives you
(03:13):
all of the feelings of this is why I love
this game, right moments and this is one of those moments.
The immaculate reception is those keyed phrases, you know, and
just moments that just stand still and they create the
history that is American football. And this is such a
(03:37):
tremendous honor on you know, the fiftieth anniversary here that
a man who was a part of those four Super
Bowl teams had had his own Italian Army, yes, you
know and intra. Now remember Sinatra was included in that. Yes, yes,
I mean anytime you get Mickey blue Eyes to uh,
(04:00):
to be a part of that, I mean, that's that's
something special. Um. And you know he comes from Penn State, right,
I mean he he It's a local legend type of
deal where it's all encompassing when you think of his
his tremendous football career, and I think I think it's
a well deserved honor. And not only for the player
(04:23):
that was Franco Harris and the immaculate reception reception that
was one of the top plays of all time in
the NFL. He also was a community servant. He was
a local businessman. You know, my first interactions with Franco,
you know, I just remember I literally was walking down
(04:44):
the street to a festival at the point. This is
back at two thousand and four festival. I'm at a
festival at the point in front of the hotel there,
and I'm in line. I don't even remember what I
think I was. I think I was at actually at
like a like a Mediterranean food truck type of deal,
(05:04):
and I remember looking food into everything, don't we I don't.
Well yeah, I mean, well listen, life is told their food.
I mean that's just that's just the way our life
path is written. Um. But no, but I was in
this line and I was I was I'm never forget
I was getting I was getting some domas um and
I turned around, I was like, oh my god, this
(05:25):
Franco Harris, and he was, and I went and introduced,
oh you whatever you wanted the new draft picks, right.
I was like, yes, Sir, I am and uh and
he just he introduced himself. I mean, was such a
nice guy. We sat, we talked for a few minutes
and it was just it was just awesome because you know,
for me, even though I am a new quote unquote
(05:47):
professional athlete at that time, like, I'm not thinking the
legends are going to speak to me. You know, we
know who Franko Harris is. I mean, this man is
a Hall of Famer. You know, I don't think he's
he's gonna talk to me what he does. And then
that just that just gave me a different perspective about
how Pittsburgh is different than a lot of other places
(06:07):
and how he is just this tremendous, giving human being.
And then fast forward a couple of years later, he
does it comes to me with an offer with his
baker like, hey, Max, Um, I want to feature community
champions on on a line of donuts. I'm doing yeah
(06:28):
for for kids in school. He's like, what would would
you do me the honor of being on here and
proceeds to go to your foundation at I was floored.
It was like absolutely and then from there, you know,
it's just it's just the giving nature. And every time
I see him, it's always such a grand moment. You know,
(06:50):
it's like two friends that that have missed each other.
And I'm sure you have similar stories, but I had
to share that just as a young guy who wasn't
even born when this play happened, right, but knowing the
significance in the impact it had on the sport that
I love, and being a historian of this game and
wanting to know more about the history of this game instrementous.
In fact, I actually have two photos of the Immaculate
(07:15):
Reception in my house. I have one in my office.
It's George O'Keefe. One that he did a painting of
it um of Franco going down and like kind of
he kind of shouted it to where it looked like
Heaven was shining down on Franco. And then the other
one was actually the physical like still shot photo that
Franco and French chief fuqua Um signed, you know, had
(07:38):
had of course frendch chief phrase I'll never tell so
so so I have both of it. So that's how
significant it is to me that I have both of
those pieces. Um, you know, kind of signifying those two moments.
You know that that one moment in two different ways,
in two different mediums. That's how important is So it's
just it's one of those things that's it's cool to
(08:00):
look back on and that's a part of NFL history.
So I'm proud to be I'm proud. I'm proud to
have those pieces. I'm proud to know the man and
what a well deserved honor for him. Think about this, Max,
You're talking about a play that was voted by the
fans the greatest play in NFL history. Now you go
back to the very beginning of the league and everything
(08:20):
else and all the great plays and all the great
moments that have occurred, but yet this one defining moment,
this moment when the lovable losers that the Pittsburgh Steelers
basically were before two I think they had posted some
around seven only seven winning seasons in the previous years,
(08:40):
and then all of a sudden, it's like, well, as
as the chief said, we didn't we didn't win much
before Franco got here, and we didn't lose much after
Franco got here. You know. I mean, the guy was
pivotal in the turning point of this organization, and his
great humanitarian side equals his great and wonder full, an illustrious,
(09:01):
uh you know, professional football side. And you talk about
the super donuts, I'll tell you touch and I back
years ago. We had an office down in his office
building when we were doing some stuff together years and
years ago. Right, So his his office was on the
floor below us. So I used to sneak down and
go over to his He had a freezer there full
of super donuts and other products, right, So I'd be
(09:23):
hitting up them super donuts almost daily. You got a
little knick knack, you know, a little something that you know,
you got your coffee and stuff. So I go down
and have a couple of donuts, and finally Prink was like, hey, dude,
you're killing me, just killing me. Hey, you know, could
you leave a tep exactly? Hey? Hey, you know over
(09:44):
here he's also so cool and gracious, but said, hey,
wolf Man, how about a little something something you know? Yeah, exactly,
come on, Wolfe. I love the man. The man is
so gracious. I laugh about it. Max. It's It's like, um,
yesterday I was I was mindful when he passed. I
think it was a ten thousand yard mark. And we
(10:06):
forgive me if I've told you before, but even if
I have, so what, it's the story and we just
kind of roll with it. But you think about it.
We ran a flow thirty six. Now, that's me pulling
from the left guard, and it's basically it's a bounce
out around the right tackle to the outside, picking up
the first corner force. Right, So you're out there and
your your cruising. Franco's right on my hip and he's
pushing me, you know. We go all the way to
(10:27):
the sidelines and we crashed out of bounds. Now he
goes over this mark or whatever marker it was ten
or twelve thousand or eleven thousand, I can't remember the yard.
But they stopped the game and they take the ball
and they give it to Franco as that you know,
as a memorial memoriab bilia thing, and he takes it
to the sidelines to Parissy Tony Parissy, the equipment guy. Right.
(10:48):
So I'm in the huddle and I'm like bent over
sucking wind, you know, because I just sprinted to the
outside on a sweeping you know that's big heavy hoofers
we got. It takes a little bit to you know, reload.
So he comes back into the hut after all this
and he looks at me and I'm bed. You know,
he got that that little squeel the weise that's it.
(11:12):
So I'm in there and he goes, he goes, you
fat pig. I ran as far as you did. He said,
I'm not sucking when I looked at him, go that's
because I'm a fat pig. It was hilarious. But it
was that moment that was so great because he went
off and he was acknowledged, and it was such a
great moment. And to be able to have done that
together with him as part you know that happening on
(11:34):
the play and everything. It was just such a great
memory that I have always will have in my mind
about the great Franco Harris. Now absolutely, I mean, I mean,
and I'm sure that we we have fans out there
that that that can talk also about his great but
I mean, he's truly a remarkable human being, um, you know,
(11:56):
a citizen of the world and just a tremendous person.
And you know, and like like you and I were
blessed to call him friends, Um, because he is just
such a remarkable man. I mean, I can't tell you
how many times I've I've been around this country and
people ask, hey, do you know do you know Franco.
(12:17):
You know, he's such an amazing time. This one time,
you know, I was in such and such and Franco
came and said hello. He was so nice and he
talked to us. I mean, he just has that personable,
just exuberant, outgoing, you know, personality about him. He welcomes everybody,
and I mean, I mean he's just I mean, you know,
(12:39):
everybody kids. It's like he's like a politician, but the
endearing way of a politician, as far as the person ability,
the approach ability, the ability to have a hold a
conversation with a person that he knows nothing about and
find commonality within that person and leave that conversation then
and him feeling better about it. I mean, it's he's
(13:00):
just tremendous. I can't say enough good things about Franco
Um because he's such a great man. And blessed, blessed
that you know he gets this, he gets to receive
this honor, and blessed it will both be in attendance
when they when when they retired in the stadium was
that December every day plus one day at Ashur Stadium.
(13:21):
It's a Christmas Eve and you're gonna have a ceremony
like three something or other to the minute. At the marker,
which is out in the parking lot outside of Accreshurch Stadium.
There they got a marker where the very spot the
GPS that where Franco caught the ball. You know, I mean,
it's remarkable. It's sitting out there. You just got this
over by stage a E. There's a you know this
(13:44):
this marker that says right here it happened. You're like, wow,
this is just crazy, because of course I played the
Three Rivers, and I remember Three Rivers very very well,
and you're just trying to put it together with the
dimensions of Acquasher and this and that, and it's it's
just very crazy. But the fact is, you know, I
remember Chuck Noll always preaching to us good things happened
(14:05):
to those who hustle, and I remember, uh, you know
that kind of ringing in my head, and I asked Franco,
I saw him yesterday right down on the south side there,
I says the Franco I says, do you remember that?
He goes, yeah, he says. One of the things that
he remembered was Joe Paterno was another thing too, always
said run to the ball, you know, and Chuck said
the same thing. And that's what caused him because he
(14:26):
was on a hug up Phil Villi Piano was. He
wasn't on a hug up. Villi Piano was on a
hug up with Franco. Franco steps up to block. Right, Well,
Franco is not exactly the most industrious blocker whoever of
Donna Steelers uniform. It's not like it's not like he was.
That was something that he really wanted to excel at.
(14:47):
But the fact is, you know, that's that's the truth.
You know, we used to call him. So Franco released
and he went out to the flat and then you know, think,
and I asked him this, I go, think about this, Franko,
what would have happened? None of well, none of this,
what happened if you you were loafing, you know, let
(15:08):
me just think, if you were loafing, you didn't run
to the ball, you know, you didn't hustle to the ball.
And yet he did, and that's what created the opportunity
to have the greatest singular, greatest play in the history
of the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. Hustle, Hustle,
he gets rewarded. We we talked about it all the time.
I feel like we need to play Hustling by Rick
(15:30):
ross Um. But but I mean, but that's that's what
it's all about. It's about the right time and the
right moment and being ready for that opportunity. And he was.
He sees the opportunity, he was there for it, he
received it, and the rest is NFL history. And like
(15:50):
you said, voted by the fans, the greatest play in
NFL history. That that's that's just remarkable. Think about this,
to my friend, only the third number in the history
of this awesome franchise to be retired. I mean thinking
about you've got Ernie Stout number seventy, Joe Green, now
(16:10):
you've got thirty two Franco harris By. By contrast, you've
got the New York Yankees have retired twenty two numbers. Alright,
So it says something about this franchise that well, first
of all, nobody has worn the numbers since Franco left
the Steelers. Uh you say there are numbers that for
a long time that we're just off limits. Yes, yeah, yeah,
(16:35):
exactly as as as I learned out, I learned about
the forbidden numbers. Really, and think about it, I mean,
only three. So for such a great franchise to only
have three, it says a lot about their desire to
maximize those players that are virtually they are qualified beyond qualification,
(17:00):
you know what I mean. Think about the Hall of
famers that that have that that have passed through this
organization and the fact that you that you literally have
a top three of all of those Hall of famers.
We're talking about the stal Wars of the world, the
Bradshaws of the world, the Swans of the world, and
(17:20):
then even more contemporaries that Alan Fanicas, right, the Jerome Bettises,
the Troy Paula Malus. I mean, there's just so many
tremendous men. Donnie Shells of this world, the Jack Lamber.
I mean, we could go on, in fact that we
could go on and on about these names that have
dawned here and and you have these three and it's
(17:42):
a special moment because it's not like a lot of
other organizations where they retired numbers left and right. No,
you have to earn your stripes. And think about this,
fifty years from that play. Franco Harris's numbers getting retired.
Mean Joe Green, the career that he had, you know,
he was drafted what nineteen seven and d and he
just got his number. I mean, it's it's tremendous to
(18:04):
think of the great men that have passed through here
and the unbelievable honor. It is not only to end
up in the Hall of Honor, but when you get
that jersey retired, that's that's a whole other level. Oh,
it really is, you know what I mean, It's fun
being around these guys. You know, it's like I always say,
I I know greatness because I was in the huddle
with it. You know what I mean. It wasn't great.
(18:27):
I was never great, but you know that was surrounded
by it both uh in the locker room and in
the huddle. And it's amazing when you see these guys
together and they have that opportunity to be together and
kind of relive these moments. And I believe that there's
gonna be some guys brought back. I hope some significant others,
uh that will come back when the Steelers had this
(18:49):
celebration of the Immaculate Reception, I hope that you get
a number of people that come out for it, you know,
just just to reload. I mean, I hope Terry can
come in. I hope that you know that you got
the John colp here in town. Is a bunch of
the other guys that the that they can celebrate this
moment because it was such an incredible moment in the
(19:11):
history of the Steelers franchise. And think about it, the
chief didn't even see the play. I mean, this is
a play. This is a time and space that is
so iconic. I mean, I I think I've there's two
two things. I think the most people I've I've talked
to have been seems like everybody's been to Woodstock and
everybody saw the Immaculate Reception, which both are not true, right.
(19:35):
I Mean, there's just far too many people who say
that they were at Woodstock, and far too many people say, oh,
I was at Three Rivers when I don't know. I
don't know about that. But the fact is, it is
such a huge part of even even you know NFL history.
But American history. People talk about where they were and
what they where they saw it, if they saw it
(19:56):
on a game, which you know even then there was
there was a bowl uh in the NFL back then
because even during sold out games, they blacked out a
lot of the TV, so it was difficult to find. Yeah,
now it absolutely was that. You know, it's one that
even the cameras couldn't catch up to it fully, right,
(20:17):
you know this is the moment where we don't have
the all twenty two. It is did a very different
era where you actually had cans of film and you
had what sixteen millimeters? Am I correct? In the I
the RealAge and even I mean it's funny you talk
about uh, you know Mac right, Bob McCartney, Ry Steelers,
(20:41):
the infamous story that Mac you know, well, you know
he had he had ran out of he ran out
of real film. Um, he he brought he brought four
cans up, four cans went back down, and from that
day for they always had six after that. Uh. Indeed,
my friend, yeah, it's it's roll on, my friend. We
(21:02):
gotta go to break. So I'm gonna ask you right now,
what does the immaculate reception and free solo have in common. Oh,
stick around. We are SNR
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