This Franco Harris Autograph Pittsburgh Steelers NFL 8x10 Photograph Penn State Nittany Lions is the exact item you will receive.
Franco Harris (March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a running back for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In his 13 professional seasons, Harris gained 12,120 yards (then 3rd all-time) on 2,949 carries, a 4.1 yards per carry average, and scored 91 rushing touchdowns (then also 3rd).
He caught 307 passes for 2,287 yards, a 7.4 yards per reception average, and nine receiving touchdowns. Harris's 12,120 career rushing yards rank him 12th all time in the NFL, while his 91 career rushing touchdowns rank him 10th all time tied with Jerome Bettis.
He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft. Harris spent his first 12 seasons with Pittsburgh, earning nine Pro Bowl selections, and was a member of the Seattle Seahawks in his last.
He attended Penn State University, where he played on the Nittany Lions football team.
Although he was primarily a blocker for the running back during his first year at Penn State, he amassed a career total of 2,002 yards rushing with 24 touchdowns and averaged over 5 yards per carry, while also catching 28 passes for 352 yards and another touchdown.
Penn State had a dream backfield in Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris, who developed into standouts in the early 1970s and became even better players in the NFL. Harris led the team in scoring in 1970. Mitchell finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1971.
1969: 115 carries for 643 yards and 10 touchdowns; 12 catches for 189 yards.
1970: 142 carries for 675 yards and 8 touchdowns; 6 catches for 66 yards.
1971: 123 carries for 684 yards and 6 touchdowns; 10 catches for 97 yards and 1 touchdown.
Harris was selected 13th overall in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers despite assistant personnel director Bill Nunn and head coach Chuck Noll preferring Robert Newhouse.
In his first season with the Steelers (1972), Harris was named the NFL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. In that season he gained 1,055 yards on 188 carries, with a 5.6 yards per carry average.
He also rushed for 10 touchdowns and caught one touchdown pass. He was popular with Pittsburgh's large Italian-American population: his fans, including "Brigadier General" Frank Sinatra, dubbed themselves "Franco's Italian Army" and wore army helmets with his number on them.
During his rookie season, Harris was a key player in one of professional football's most famous plays, dubbed the "Immaculate Reception" by Pittsburgh sportscaster Myron Cope.
A four-time Super Bowl winner with the Steelers, Harris was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl IX. He also scored the "Immaculate Reception" touchdown, one of professional football's most famous plays, which gave the Steelers their first playoff win.
Harris was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.Harris was chosen for nine consecutive Pro Bowls (1972–1980), and was All-Pro in 1977.
Harris rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight seasons, breaking a record set by Jim Brown.[15] The running back tandem of Harris and Rocky Bleier combined with a strong defense to win four Super Bowls following the 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979 seasons.
On January 12, 1975, he was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX; in that game he rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries for a 16–6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Harris was the first African American as well as the first Italian-American to be named Super Bowl MVP.
Harris was a major contributor for the Steelers in all of their first four Super Bowl wins. His Super Bowl career totals of 101 carries for 354 yards are records and his four career rushing touchdowns are tied for the second-most in Super Bowl history.