Steelers Icon Franco Harris Failed To Merit Inclusion In Mike Florio's Ridiculous Upper Room

The Pittsburgh Steelers are well represented in Canton, Ohio at the National Football League Hall of Fame. There are 32 former players, coaches, and executives who have earned the privilege of induction. There are a few glaring omissions like LC Greenwood, Andy Russell, James Harrison and Hines Ward. The Steelers recently retired David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey and Ben Roethlisberger are likely to be inducted in the coming years.

Earlier in 2023, Deion Sanders, who has self-elected himself as a spokesman for the Hall of Fame, gave an interview to Peter King from NBC Sports. Sanders lambasted the 2023 class, which included some dubious work by the veteran’s committee.

“We’ve gotten soft,” Sanders said. “It’s open house, is it not? What do you call a Hall of Famer? A guy who changed the game? You shouldn’t have to meet a quota every year.”

Sanders went on to suggest creating an “upper room” for elite Hall of Fame players. It is popular under the current devotion to presentism to dismiss players from the past. This especially goes for quarterbacks who played in a completely different era of football. The comments from Sanders have opened the door on social media for some bizarre theories about who is and who does not belong in the Hall of Fame.

The concept is flawed. The former All-Pro was a one-dimensional defensive back and a great kick and punt returner. Revisionist history aside, Sanders often talked about making business decisions instead of tackles. Jerome Bettis pointed this out on the Dan Patrick Show when he was asked if Sanders ever tackled him.

"He made some really good business decisions," Bettis smiled. "That's his term. He came up with that term. He would wait for me to go by him and tackle me from behind."

Teams might not have thrown towards his side of the field, but they sure would run to it.  You could make the argument that Sanders' play at cornerback alone might exclude him from his own club. There is no arguing that he was a force with the ball in his hands and was elite in pass coverage, but he was not a complete defensive player. 

Mike Florio, the founder of Pro Football Talk, decided to publish his own take on who belongs in the proposed “upper room” of the Hall of Fame. It coincided with the current class of Hall of Fame players being inducted. You can view his opinion of who should be viewed as elite Hall of Famers here. 

Steelers fans might take umbrage with Terry Bradshaw and his four Super Bowl Titles being omitted from the quarterback list. It is certainly possible to make the argument, but the exclusion of Fran Tarkenton and Roger Staubach makes the pill a little easier to swallow. The exclusion of Dan Rooney from the ownership group is blatantly bad. The architect of the Steelers prolonged NFL dynasty and the man who fought to institute the Rooney Rule belongs on the list with his father. 

Florio lists seven running backs who should be honored as the elite of the elite. Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson, Marion Motley, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith. All of these players deserve inclusion, but the glaring omission of Franco Harris is the worst slight on the list. The idea that Harris would not belong in an inner circle of Hall of Famers is a laughably bad error. 

As a rookie, Harris was the hero during the most famous play in NFL history: the Immaculate Reception. He scored the first postseason touchdown in franchise history on the play. Harris was the MVP of Super Bowl IX and holds the record for most career yards rushing in Super Bowls to this day. He was the NFL Rookie of The Year and broke Jim Brown's record by posting eight 1,000-yard seasons which was a record at the time. He retired as only the third player in NFL history with 12,000 yards rushing. 

Steelers HOF Running Back Franco Harris Gave Jerome Bettis A Heartfelt Welcome To Pittsburgh 

The nine-time Pro Bowl running back was more than statistics. Harris was a beloved icon in Pittsburgh and around the country. Frank Sinatra joined Franco's Italian Army during the height of the Steelers dynasty in the 1970s. Harris had a special personal magnetism that radiated across generations. He was a constant ambassador for the team and the city and quietly guided players like Bettis and Cam Heyward. 

Harris did not seek the limelight and personified class. One of his best friends was Phil Villiapiano from the Oakland Raiders. They should have been mortal enemies after the Immaculate Reception, but they became lifelong friends. After Super Bowl XIII, when the Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys for the second time, he took time to console Thomas Henderson who had insulted Bradshaw's spelling acumen before the game. 

Harris passed on just before his number was to be retired in December in 2022. The league lost a wonderful ambassador for the game. Pittsburgh lost a loving caretaker of what the Steelers way is and how it should be done during and after one's playing days. Florio's exclusion of Harris from the so-called 'upper room' is the kind of slight Harris would laugh off. 

An elite inner circle of great players is where he belongs, but the man himself would never be a part of it. Harris loved people and separating himself for special recognition was not his style. It is why Steelers fans loved him. It is also why Florio ignoring his contribution to NFL history on and off the field is ridiculous. It's too bad Harris isn't here to console him for the mistake. He might be the only one in Steeler Nation who would. 

What do you think Steeler Nation? Who do you think was the most egregious snub on Florio's list? Let me know what you think. Please comment below or on my TwitterX:@thebubbasq.

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