Nearly a year after his death, Penn State legend Franco Harris is being honored by his alma mater.
The University renamed its Pittsburgh center after the Steeler great in a ceremony Tuesday night.
Before his Hall of Fame NFL career, Harris starred for some of Joe Paterno’s first great Penn State teams, playing from 1969-71.
Penn State leaders were joined on Tuesday by Harris' wife, Dana, to dedicate the renamed Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State. https://t.co/7nbeuFQ0lg
— Andrew Stockey (@astockeyWTAE) December 13, 2023
From there, the Mount Holly, New Jersey native he went to the Steelers in the first round of the 1972 Draft, and the rest is history. Harris was just a rookie when he made what many feel is the most iconic play in football history, the “Immaculate Reception.”
On Dec. 20, 2022, Harris died at 72, three days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception and four days before the Steelers honored Harris by retiring his No. 32 jersey.
At Tuesday’s ceremony, some of Penn State’s leaders were there with Harris’ widow, Dana, for the ceremony in which the Pittsburgh Center became the “Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State.”
“Today is about a lot of things and all of them are important to Franco — giving, sharing, teamwork, caring, camaraderie and education — so our hope is that this center is the beginning of furthering so many of his ideals,” Dana Harris said.
