The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t had a lot of bad days since Franco Harris plucked a Jack Tatum deflection out of the air and scored the first-ever Pittsburgh Steelers playoff touchdown as time expired to beat the Oakland Raiders. The Steelers have six Lombardi Trophies, the most since they have been handing them out, and unlike nearly every other NFL franchise, have rarely played meaningless December football games. Wednesday has been a bad day, we lost the heart of Steeler Nation.
Pittsburgh Steelers Jerome Bettis runs in for a one-yard score against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 13, 2005. (Photo by Sean Brady/NFLPhotoLibrary)
Harris was in seemingly excellent health and this morning on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo welcomed Steelers Hall of Fame Running Back Jerome Bettis onto the program to discuss the icon and what he meant to Pittsburgh.
“I remember Franco as just a wonderful individual,” Bettis began. “He knew how to welcome you in. He was such a huge figure, but he knew how to ingratiate himself with you to make you feel comfortable. You knew you were talking to a legend. He was so kind and generous. I remember my first year in Pittsburgh and he decided to have lunch with me and I’m saying to myself, 'who am I?' He befriended me and I was in awe of him.”
Harris was a fixture in Pittsburgh and Bettis isn’t the only Steelers player who came after him that has shared stories of how the leader of Franco’s Italian Army acted like a humble private whenever he met new people. Multiple stories of his grace and humility have flooded the airwaves and Bettis was no exception.
“I told him, that I was not a Steelers fan growing up as a kid,” Bettis recounts about the lunch. “I actually hated him, and he laughed it off. He said, ‘Well now you gotta love me.’ He was a special man and I’ll never forget him.”
Bettis is describing the quintessential Harris quality. The ability to flash a smile, laugh heartily and make you feel like you were important to him. The former Los Angeles Rams back was brought in to be the focal point of Bill Cowher’s offense and like Harris, he was a college fullback that had made himself into an effective tailback. Harris recognized how important Bettis could be to the Steelers. The legacy of the Steelers was more important to him than another running back eclipsing him.
Harris and Bettis share Steelers' history as the two best running backs in the team’s history. They both were part of Super Bowl Championship teams and they both are in the Hall of Fame. They had dramatically different careers, and both finished with over 10,000 yards rushing and were unique backs during their playing career.
Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis & Franco Harris embrace at final game @ Three Rivers Stadium / Photo Credit: Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
Bettis didn’t reach his Super Bowl until his final year, and he was a backup at that point, but it didn’t stop Harris from being there to support him and the Steelers as he walked onto the field in Detroit twirling a Terrible Towel and rooting hard. He was careful not to monopolize or interject himself into moments that didn’t belong to him and it is what made him so beloved and special. His entrance was not about ego, it was about fulfilling a promise that the organization made after Super Bowl XIV.
Russo, who interviewed Harris for 30 minutes on Tuesday for his popular radio show, couldn’t help but bring up one of the old criticisms of Harris, who was known for running out of contact to save his body for the next play instead of fighting for the extra yard.
“He was just physically a specimen,” Bettis continued. “I probably should have took a little bit from his playbook cause I’m beat up a little bit. I’m still good physically, but different styles. We both got the same thing accomplished.”
Steelers fans have a special place in their hearts for great running backs. Harris was a huge back for his time and was bigger than some offensive linemen. In retirement, he looked like he could still take the field for a play or two and get you a first down. Bettis was a bruising back that was also bigger than some offensive linemen but was shaped more like a bowling ball than an elegant tailback who could beat you inside or outside. He was deceptively fast, but he made his living between the tackles. Harris was a Rolls Royce and Bettis was a Mack truck, and the fan base loved them both.
“Last time I saw him, he was in really good health,” Bettis concluded. “He was always talking to me about health. That was a shock, as for Steeler Nation, it is in mourning. Franco was really the architect of that Steeler tradition. I know obviously Joe Greene was really the first building block, but Franco came and really changed the culture.
"After his career he was able to show all of the future Steelers players how to be a professional. How to handle the celebrity with grace and class. I was a fan of Franco in terms of everything he did after he played. I modeled myself after him for what he meant to the city, but what he did for the city as well. He was an icon in the city of Pittsburgh. He’s the one guy when you talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is that one guy you look at and say he’s a special guy.”
Photo Credit: David Dermer / Associated Press
And he certainly was.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Who will take up the mantle now that Franco Harris is brightening up a different city in the sky? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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