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Former Pittsburgh Steelers superstar and NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris passed away earlier this week. His death came just three days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. He was 72 years old.
The Steelers also intended to honor Harris with a jersey retirement ceremony. They will go ahead with this during halftime of their game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night.
Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin spoke with Harris' wife, Dana Dokmanovich, following Harris' passing. He revealed what conspired in the final moments of his life. Here's what he said on 93.7 The Fan:
“His wife will tell you, the thing is, there was so much going on for him that he was telling everybody ‘Yes.' He was giving everybody a ‘Yeah,’ because that’s the type of person he is, he wants to help everybody out. He came home one night, said he was exhausted, sat down, and when she went to go brush her teeth, and when she came back, he moved from time to eternity.”
Harris' family are yet to confirm the official reason for his death but have revealed that he died of natural causes. He did not suffer from any potentially fatal medical condition and was in good spirits during his last appearance on a public platform, making his untimely death even more shocking.
Steelers to retire Franco Harris' jersey
Saturday will be bittersweet for Franco Harris' family. The Steelers will retire the legendary running back's #32 jersey, ensuring no other player dons the number for the rest of time. The Steelers had two events planned for Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of, arguably, the greatest play in NFL history: Harris' Immaculate Reception against the Las Vegas Raiders in their 1972 AFC Divisional Playoff game.
Unfortunately, the Steelers had to cancel both events in the wake of Harris' passing.
