‘Franco Harris: A Football Life’ Premieres Friday, December 23 at 9:00 PM ET on NFL Network
“Franco was the heart and soul of our team. When Franco arrived, we became the Pittsburgh Steelers.” – Joe Greene
The 11th season of the Emmy-nominated and highly acclaimed NFL Films-produced series A Football Life continues Friday, December 23 at 9:00 PM ET on NFL Network with a profile of Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris. Premiering on the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the one-hour show features sit-down interviews with Harris, former teammates such as Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene and Jack Ham, and others.
Among the topics discussed in Franco Harris: A Football Life include:
- Growing up in Mount Holly, New Jersey before starring at Penn State
- Being a surprise first round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he initially struggled before breaking out and winning 1972 Rookie of the Year
- Catching the Immaculate Reception, the greatest play in NFL history, to start the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dynasty
- Winning four Super Bowls and establishing himself as one of the greatest running backs ever
- Working in his local community of Pittsburgh throughout his career where he won NFL Man of the Year and later helped to restore the famous Crawford Grill
Emmy-nominated actor Josh Charles narrates.
Franco Harris: A Football Life includes interviews with the following people:
- Franco Harris
- Terry Bradshaw – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback & Pittsburgh Steelers teammate
- Joe Greene – Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle & Pittsburgh Steelers teammate
- Rocky Bleier– Four Time Super Bowl Champion and Pittsburgh Steelers teammate
- Lydell Mitchell– Former All-Pro running back & Penn State teammate
- Phi Villapiano– Super Bowl XI Champion and former Oakland Raiders linebacker
- Jack Ham – Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker & Pittsburgh Steelers teammate
- Mel Blount – Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback & Pittsburgh Steelers teammate
- Najee Harris – Pittsburgh Steelers running back
- Errol “Mobutu” Reynolds – Crawford Grill Musician
- Dwayne Dolphin – Crawford Grill Musician
- Dr. Nelson Harrison – Crawford Grill Musician
Provided below are some select quotes from Franco Harris: A Football Life:
– “Franco was the heart and soul of our team. When Franco arrived, we became the Pittsburgh Steelers.” – Joe Greene
– “Franco is a legend. You’re going to be remembered by the games and the moments you had, just like we’re still talking about the Immaculate Reception to this day.” – Najee Harris
– “Sports were an opportunity for a lot of people who didn’t have a lot of opportunities. Getting a football scholarship changed my whole world.” – Franco Harris
– “If I was one step later, if I was one step faster, it never would have happened. The timing was just immaculate.'” – Franco Harris on catching the Immaculate Reception
– “He had so many different styles of running, like a good musician. He would be running and it might look like a piano player, but then when he hit the line it might sound like a drum. He was poetry in motion and he was music to the ear.” – Mel Blount on Harris’ running style
– “My teammates were men of character, with a lot of heart and soul. This is the team that I belonged to, a team that will live forever. ” – Franco Harris during his 1990 Pro Football Hall of Fame speech
All NFL Network programming is available across multiple devices (smartphone, PC, tablet and connected TVs) through the NFL app and NFL Network app for subscribers of participating NFL Network providers, and with NFL+. Visit NFL.com/watch for more information on how to watch and visit NFL.com/plus/learn-more for more information on NFL+.
Below is a broadcast schedule for remaining episodes of A Football Life this season:
- January 13 – 1972 Miami Dolphins
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