When Paul Rudd all but gasped after meeting Steelers legend Franco Harris

The NFL world is still mourning the tragic death of Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris. He was 72 years old when he passed away earlier this week, a few days before the Steelers were due to retire his jersey at the game this weekend.

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With many tributes flowing for the Steelers great, actor Paul Rudd remembered the first time he met the Hall of Famer. In a clip posted by Dave Dameshek, he and Rudd met with Harris at an event.

Dameshek then ran into Rudd the day after, and the actor was still in disbelief that he met the Steelers legend. Rudd told Dameshek:

“I’ve gone to the Academy Awards and met Glenn Close & Jack Nicholson and it was great…but—you saw me—this was different. I got to meet FRANCO.”

We know that Rudd has seen his fair share of A-Listers, but in the above video, we can see that he is genuinely gobsmacked after meeting Franco Harris. Rudd stated he was a Steelers fan growing up, so meeting Harris was quite something for the actor.

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What did Franco Harris die from?

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The Steelers legend sadly passed away earlier in the week, and the cause of death was not revealed at the time. However, a couple of days on, several media outlets revealed that Harris died from natural causes.

He was on Chris "Mad Dog" Russo's radio show a few days before his death and said he was doing fantastic, so naturally, the news of his death just days later came as a huge shock.

Franco Harris played 13 seasons in the NFL and was a superstar running back. He is famously known for the "Immaculate Reception" in the playoffs.

He finished his illustrious career as a member of the Hall of Fame and the All-1970s team, a Super Bowl MVP, a four-time Super Bowl winner, and a nine-time Pro-Bowler in 173 games.

Sportskeeda sends love and prayers to the family of the late Franco Harris at this difficult time.