Franco Harris memorial: Thousands pay respects to larger than life Steeler

PITTSBURGH — Pulling on his No. 32 Franco Harris jersey, Darnell Stuvants set off for Acrisure Stadium on Tuesday morning to say goodbye (and thank you) to a Pittsburgh Steelers icon.

The public viewing for the Hall of Fame running back, who died unexpectedly last week at 72 years old, was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. It wasn’t necessarily Stuvants’ intention, but when he arrived at 10:30 a.m., he found he was the very first person in line.

Advertisement

“I came to pay my respects to a man who was larger than life, but he treated everybody just as he was,” the 57-year-old Steelers fan said. “He was a giant. He treated you like a giant.”

Before long, the line on Art Rooney Avenue stretched the length of a football field. The Steelers estimate several thousand fans passed through the PNC Champions Club, where Harris’ widow, Dana Dokmanovich, and their son, Dok, personally greeted virtually every one of them.

The public viewing for Franco Harris begins at 1. Half an hour before doors open, the line is already a football field long and surely will continue to grow. pic.twitter.com/1kMuids2fu

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 27, 2022

Some of those fans were clad in the blue and white of Penn State, where Harris teamed with all-American Lydell Mitchell to form one of the nation’s top running back tandems. Some wore the red, white and green of Italy’s tricolor flag — a tribute to the late running back’s official fan club, “Franco’s Italian Army.”

But most everyone wore black and gold, the same colors that Harris helped transform into a dynasty that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy four times in six seasons from 1974 to 1979.

GO DEEPER

'Still in disbelief': Fans honor Franco Harris with Terrible Towels, gold flowers

Just months before Harris died, he spoke about how Pittsburgh is “really a special place” that supports its teams in unique ways, waving yellow towels, selling out stadiums and creating fan clubs to salute their favorite players. Maybe it was only fitting, then, that fans mourned and honored Harris in their own creative ways.

Beginning Wednesday — when fans woke up to the startling news that Harris had died, just days before the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception” and the No. 32 jersey retirement ceremony — the monument that marks the exact location of Harris’ improbable shoestring catch has transformed into a memorial. People have left yellow flowers, Terrible Towels, Italian flags and at least one I.C. Light, the city’s unofficially official beer.

Advertisement

Outside the main gate, someone placed yellow roses into the Art Rooney Sr. statue’s hand. It was as if “The Chief” himself, cigar in one hand and flowers in the other, had come to honor one of the great players in franchise history.

Outside the stadium, someone has placed a bouquet of yellow flowers in the hand of Art Rooney Sr, almost as if “The Chief” himself is paying his respects to Franco Harris. pic.twitter.com/witfvTBKO5

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) December 27, 2022

Nearby, a family gathered in the Gold Lot and said goodbye like only football fans can — by tailgating with Italian wine and Peroni beer.

“My daughter’s like, ‘Do you think that’s disrespectful?’” said Don Ryan, a 54-year-old season ticket holder. “I’m like, ‘No, we’re not causing a scene.’ If Franco saw this, I think he’d say, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool.’”

For those like Ryan, Franco is beloved not only because he authored one of the greatest plays in NFL history and not only because he was among the league’s all-time leading rushers when he retired, but also for his charitable work in the community and approachable nature.

For years, Harris was a champion for the Special Olympics. He helped spread the word about the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. And he served as the chairman for the Pittsburgh Promise, which gives scholarships to Pittsburgh Public Schools graduates.

“Franco is almost like a family member,” Ryan said. “This would be almost like a parent or a sibling or somebody pretty close to you dying, which is crazy to say. For a guy that’s not in the family, it feels like I lost somebody really close to me.”

That feeling was ubiquitous on the North Shore on Tuesday, as those who knew Harris well and those who never met him all came together. Jeff Duggan parked his custom black-and-gold “Blitzburgh Bus” just outside the stadium, as he does during many Steelers tailgates. Harris was a frequent visitor at those pregame festivities.

Advertisement

“I’ve known Franco personally since the ’70s when he was a rookie here,” Duggan said. “I met him playing basketball over at the YMCA. Franco was such a humble, gracious guy that he didn’t even have a car back then. So I was leaving the gym one night, and he asked me for a ride home.”

Over the years, Duggan ran into Harris from time to time at a variety of events. Eventually, he considered the Hall of Fame running back a friend. On Tuesday, Duggan taped a sign on one side that read “THANK YOU FRANCO.” He encouraged people to sign it and said he plans to eventually give several signs full of signatures to the Harris family.

“Franco was the greatest ambassador this city has ever had and will ever know,” Duggan said. “I think the message is this: Regardless of your notoriety and how great you perform, what you do off the field, and how you treat people, is the true measure of a man. And that’s where Franco exceeded all expectations.”

Once inside the stadium, fans snaked through the Great Hall and into the club, which overlooks the end zone on the open end of the stadium.

A large flower arrangement rested on the closed casket. To its right were two photos. One depicted a smiling Harris, looking off into the distance. The other faded image captured the Steelers running back in his playing days, holding his baby son, Dok, and standing alongside teammate “Mean” Joe Greene. A third photo to the left of the casket showed Harris, Dana and Dok together in a recent image.

After saying her goodbye, Debbie Turici stepped outside the stadium wearing a Franco Harris sweatshirt, a Steelers jacket, Steelers earrings and Steelers gloves. Almost instantly, she pulled a tissue from her pocket to wipe away the tears.

Growing up in a sports-obsessed household, she developed an early passion for the Steelers. But Harris, in particular, held a special place in her heart. She met him at an Al Gore rally years ago and, like so many others, forged a personal connection with the football player. Over the years, Harris threw his support behind several Democratic politicians, including Turici when she was running for a seat in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in November.

Advertisement

“He’s a pillar in Pittsburgh,” Turici said. “He’s as high as these hills that we have. As high as the largest building. He helped with charities and fundraisers. He was everywhere.

“He just always did what he believed was right for the people and for Pittsburgh, and his name is synonymous with power. So may he rest in power.”

(Top photo: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k2lqcXBnbHxzfJFrZmpqX2eFcLLRmqWcp12drrO%2ByKxkn62emr%2BiuIymnKanop6urXnSrZyepJWnwHA%3D