Pennsylvania officials mourn death of Steelers great Franco Harris

Outstanding Pennsylvania political figures are sharing their condolences for Pittsburgh Steelers working again Franco Harris, who died on Wednesday on the age of 72. 

“Deeply saddened by the lack of Franco Harris,” outgoing Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.

“Franco was a @steelers legend, on and off the sector,” Wolf added. “Sending condolences to his household and all who knew him.”

“Gisele and I are devastated by this information. We’re sending our deepest condolences to Franco’s household,” Pennsylvania Sen.-elect John Fetterman (D) wrote in a tweet. He referred to as Harris a “selfless man” who was an “icon on and off the sector.” 

“It was an honor to have gotten to know him through the years,” Fetterman added. “I’ll miss him dearly.”

Harris, who performed faculty soccer at Penn State College, performed a significant function within the Steelers’ dominance within the Seventies, utilizing his hard-nosed type of working to information Pittsburgh to 4 Tremendous Bowl victories.

He was named probably the most beneficial participant of Tremendous Bowl IX in 1975, when the Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings. Harris rushed for a then-record 158 yards and one landing within the 16-6 victory. 

“It’s with heavy hearts that we are saying goodbye to Pittsburgh Steelers nice Franco Harris,” the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus said in a tweet, sharing photographs of the soccer’s icon final go to to the state’s Senate chamber earlier this yr. 

“We had been very lucky to obtain a go to from him solely a pair months again,” the caucus added. “Our ideas are along with his household and buddies.”

Harris, who was inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 1990, rushed for 12,120 yards in his 13-year skilled profession, incomes 9 Professional Bowl picks and three All-Professional picks. 

Harris was anticipated to attend the Steelers’ Week 16 match-up towards the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, the place the workforce was enjoying to retire his quantity 32 jersey throughout a halftime ceremony, in accordance with the fiftieth anniversary of Harris’s “Immaculate Reception” play. 

“It’s tough to seek out the suitable phrases to explain Franco Harris’ affect on the Pittsburgh Steelers, his teammates, the Metropolis of Pittsburgh and Steelers Nation,” Steelers’ workforce President Artwork Rooney II mentioned in a press release. “From his rookie season, which included the Immaculate Reception, by the following 50 years, Franco introduced pleasure to folks on and off the sector. He by no means stopped giving again in so some ways. He touched so many, and he was cherished by so many.”

“Our ideas and prayers are along with his spouse Dana, his son Dok, and his prolonged household at this tough time,” Rooney added.