RIP Franco Harris

[tower912]

Another childhood hero.   

I hope his reception into heaven was immaculate.

[Dish]

I don't know how else to say it, the timing of his death is truly unbelievable. Wish he could have made it through this weekend (obviously no idea how he died, sounded like it was very sudden). RIP to a guy who helped really establish the NFL to becoming the force it is today. It is always cool flying into Pittsburgh's airport and seeing the statue there.

[Spotcheck Billy]

I don't understand why the Steelers waited until this week to retire his number. I thought most teams will do that after a HOF election.

[The Sultan]

I don't understand why the Steelers waited until this week to retire his number. I thought most teams will do that after a HOF election.

With roster sizes, it's hard to retire everyone's number who is in the HOF.  Packers have 26 Hall of Fame players but only 6 (will be 7) retired numbers.

[Herman Cain]

I always like flying into Pittsburgh and seeing the Statues of Franco and a young George Washington .

Loved the way Franco played . He was generating  tough thousand yard rushing season in mostly 14 game seasons

Was a big part of Pittsburgh community after his career was over

Wish he could have made it to the. If celebration this week. Now it will be a celebration of his life

[The Sultan]

Kinda sullied his rep by carrying around the odd lifesized cutout of Joe Paterno a decade or so ago.

[HouWarrior]

Franco Harris' most famous moment was the Immaculate Reception against Oakland, one of the greatest plays in NFL history. This was Pittsburgh's first NFL playoff win ever and the one that first launched Pittsburgh's playoff successes in the 70's ( incl., 4 SB wins):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM08mW78zi4

As a related aside:

Milwaukee's own Pat Harder was the NFL ref (Jim Tunney's crew) who made the call that Harris caught the ball clean. Pat was a member at my dad's church, and I remember Pat telling us he was sure he got the call right, the moment he made it. Pat ran a car leasing business in Waukesha and NFL reffed on Sundays. He died in 1992

Pat Harder is also a good story few here would know. A 1941 Milw Washington High Grad, Harder then played fullback for UW Madison, twice all big ten and led the BIG 10 in rushing. He is where we got the cheer that is still in use:
..."hit em again hit em again Harder Harder..."

Then Pat enlisted in WW2, where he served as what else...a US marine

After the war, Pat played in the NFL where he was:
3× NFL champion (Chi Cardinals 1947, Detroit Lions 1952, 1953)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1948)
3× First-team All-Pro (1947–1949)
3× Second-team All-Pro (1946, 1950, 1952)
2× Pro Bowl (1950, 1952)
3× NFL scoring leader (1947–1949)
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team

Pat is deserving of Pro Football Hall of Fame, veterans committee consideration. A Milwaukee football great

[Herman Cain]

Franco Harris' most famous moment was the Immaculate Reception against Oakland, one of the greatest plays in NFL history. This was Pittsburgh's first NFL playoff win ever and the one that first launched Pittsburgh's playoff successes in the 70's ( incl., 4 SB wins):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM08mW78zi4

As a related aside:

Milwaukee's own Pat Harder was the NFL ref (Jim Tunney's crew) who made the call that Harris caught the ball clean. Pat was a member at my dad's church, and I remember Pat telling us he was sure he got the call right, the moment he made it. Pat ran a car leasing business in Waukesha and NFL reffed on Sundays. He died in 1992

Pat Harder is also a good story few here would know. A 1941 Milw Washington High Grad, Harder then played fullback for UW Madison, twice all big ten and led the BIG 10 in rushing. He is where we got the cheer that is still in use:
..."hit em again hit em again Harder Harder..."

Then Pat enlisted in WW2, where he served as what else...a US marine

After the war, Pat played in the NFL where he was:
3× NFL champion (Chi Cardinals 1947, Detroit Lions 1952, 1953)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1948)
3× First-team All-Pro (1947–1949)
3× Second-team All-Pro (1946, 1950, 1952)
2× Pro Bowl (1950, 1952)
3× NFL scoring leader (1947–1949)
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team

Pat is deserving of Pro Football Hall of Fame, veterans committee consideration. A Milwaukee football great

The concept of an NFL All Pro going on to be a ref is inconceivable in the modern environment . Based on that fact alone Harder should be up for The Hall of Fame

I just noticed Harder is in The College Football Hall of Fame

[The Sultan]

The concept of an NFL All Pro going on to be a ref is inconceivable in the modern environment . Based on that fact alone Harder should be up for The Hall of Fame

I just noticed Harder is in The College Football Hall of Fame

The closest one to an NBA equivalent. Teammate of Michael Jordan in the '84 Olympics.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Wood

[HouWarrior]

The concept of an NFL All Pro going on to be a ref is inconceivable in the modern environment . Based on that fact alone Harder should be up for The Hall of Fame

I just noticed Harder is in The College Football Hall of Fame

Are there many Badgers in the College Football Hall of Fame?
Certainly few led the Big Nine while playing for the "Wisconsin dark Badgers". Until seeing this photo of the day, I never heard of either of these names.

Was it once the BIG Nine and were the Badgers once the dark Badgers ?


PS

I found this interesting on Wiki, re the Big Nine. Note Marquette was a possible addition after U of Chicago pulled out:

..."The conference was again known as the Big Nine after the University of Chicago decided to de-emphasize varsity athletics. In 1939 UChicago President Robert Maynard Hutchins made the decision to abolish the football program, based on his negative views of big-time college football's excesses and associated problems of the time and withdrew from the conference in 1946 after struggling to obtain victories in many conference matchups. It was believed that one of several schools, notably Iowa State, Marquette, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh would replace Chicago at the time. On May 20, 1949 Michigan State ended the speculation by joining and the conference was again known as the Big Ten. The Big Ten's membership would remain unchanged for the next 40 years. The conference's official name throughout this period remained the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives. It did not formally adopt the name Big Ten until 1987, when it was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation..."

PSS

I found nothing on the dark Badgers...help here?