Mike Tomlin pays tribute to impact Franco Harris had on Steelers organization

Being such an iconic member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ franchise, head coach Mike Tomlin always grabs the attention of fans when he speaks on topics pertaining to the team. That was the case this week when Tomlin spoke out about the passing of Steelers legend Franco Harris. In his comments, Tomlin made it clear how much he valued what Harris brought to the franchise.

“He just was such a special man. And for a lot of reasons,” Tomlin said of Harris. “His appetite for people, his patience with people, his general good spirit and love for this organization and this community was very evident in everything that he did. We had an opportunity to spend a lot of time together in non-football settings. He served on some charitable boards with my wife, and I served on a board or two with him years ago when I first got here. When you know him and get an opportunity to spend time with him, it was just very evident that he’s a guy who embraced the responsibilities that came with being him.”

Franco Harris’ death came just two days before the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” one of the most famous plays in the history of the NFL. The Steelers were scheduled to retire his No. 32 jersey at halftime of their game versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

Harris finished his career with 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s. 

Harris played his college football at Penn State and turned a great college career into first-round pick status, where Pittsburgh selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft. While at Penn State for three seasons from 1969-71, Harris ran for 2,002 yards and 24 touchdowns.

“He utilized his platform for the collective good,” Tomlin continued. “He really had a passion for the development, nurturing, and assistance of young people, and all of that is reflected in the businesses that he ran. Whether it was the bakery business that featured nutritional food, or whether it was his involvement in things like Pittsburgh Promise, which is a board that he and my wife served on for a number of years, raising money to educate Pittsburgh Public School kids beyond the high school level. That’s Franco. He did it all in a very humble way. In a very matter of fact way. But man, his passion and love, and patience for people was ever-present.”

Nick Kosko contributed to this report