Steelers to reveal a Franco Harris jersey display prior to Saturday’s preseason game

The Pittsburgh Steelers will dangle a rite to unveil a Franco Harris jersey display prior to Saturday’s preseason game towards the Buffalo Bills. 

The rite will happen at 5 p.m. (90 mins earlier than kickoff) within the Fed Ex Great Hall positioned within Acrisure Stadium. Fans are inspired to arrive early to watch the rite by means of getting into by the use of Ticketmaster B Gate. 

Harris, a Hall of Fame operating again who spent 12 seasons in Pittsburgh, passed on to the great beyond a day earlier than the Steelers formally retired his jersey at halftime of the staff’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders this previous Christmas Eve. Harris’ spouse, Dana, and son, Dok, can be provide at Saturday’s rite and also will function honorary captains. 

The Steelers just lately added an exhibit within their Hall of Honor honoring the 3 Steelers who’ve had their jerseys retired: Harris, former teammate Joe Greene and Ernie Stautner, a Hall of Fame defensive lineman who performed for the staff from 1950-63. 

One of probably the most influential gamers in franchise historical past, Harris’ accomplishments with the Steelers contains successful the 1972 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Super Bowl IX MVP and 9 consecutive Pro Bowl choices. Harris could also be the Super Bowl’s occupation speeding chief and stays the Steelers’ franchise occupation chief with 12,120 speeding yards and 91 speeding touchdowns. He added an extra 1,556 speeding yards and 16 touchdowns in 19 postseason video games and used to be a pressure in every of Pittsburgh’s 4 Super Bowl wins from 1974-79. 

Harris’ affect in Pittsburgh is going past awards and stats, then again. His breakout rookie season propelled Pittsburgh to its first-ever department crown. His “Immaculate Reception” in that yr’s divisional playoff game over the Raiders resulted within the franchise’s first playoff win. 

“My rookie year was an incredible year,” Harris instructed CBS Sports in 2021. “That year, [Steelers fans] went crazy. Franco’s Italian Army popped up. And then we had all these fan clubs pop up. That generated so much enthusiasm and so much of a following. And it’s still there today with Steelers Nation. That was a pretty incredible rookie year. I don’t know if anybody ever had as much fun in their rookie year as I did. Going from the worst of all time to this incredible season, to an incredible base of fans to win our first playoff game the way that we won it and to go from there. It was a dream rookie season.” 

The good fortune Harris and his teammates loved 5 a long time in the past continues to be felt inside the Steelers’ group. That, Harris stated, is what he’s maximum pleased with referring to he and his teammates’ incredible run. 

“They had a couple of down years here and there, but the Steelers overall have kept their level of play at that great level,” Harris stated. “They went on to win a couple more Super Bowls and be the first one to win six. The history continues. The legacy continues. That’s what I’m most proud of is that they’ve kept that winning spirit and that winning attitude there.”