PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Dana Harris summed up the spirit of her late husband by the last few words she said as the Steelers retired his jersey in the Great Hall at Acrisure Stadium.
“Now let’s go out and win a ballgame,” Harris said.
No matter who you talk to, Franco was about the team first.
“Franco would say his jersey would not be retired without so many great teammates of the ‘70s,” said Steelers owner and president Art Rooney. “I know Franco was proud of what the teams of the ‘70s accomplished. He was proud to play on a team whose defense became known as the Steel Curtain, but I also know Franco was proud of what his offense accomplished.”
“I know that he was very happy that after the franchise was in existence for 90 years we finally retired an offensive player’s jersey.”
“Number 32 was more than just a number, it’s a memory,” said teammate Rocky Bleier. “Each and every one of his teammates and each and every one of you who are out there, have a memory about number 32.”
A couple for Bleier were first meeting him after he played in the college all-star game and Harris finally believing he could play in the NFL. He also remembers Franco didn’t own a car his first season. He would ride the bus or get rides from teammates. Bleier said Harris was benched for four games his rookie season, but came back to win Rookie of the Year.
“Rookie of the Year became very important, at least to me and his teammates,” Bleier said. “When Franco came here. A very non-assuming running back out of Penn State. He had an ethic about him.”
“Thank God he had that one-thousand yards the remaining part of the season and became Rookie of the Year because he got a car for free for being Rookie of the Year.”
“The easiest way to tell you how his personality was, was to let him give you the weather report,” Dana Harris said. “If he woke up cheerfully and said ‘wow, it’s sunny outside, it’s good for the flowers, good for the earth. If it was raining outside ‘it’s good, it’s a beautiful day. We need the rain’. So, there was no bad weather forecast for Franco. He got up every morning, embraced it with hope and kindness and gentleness.”
“I can’t imagine anyone here tonight that was not touched by him in some way, shape or form. Be it a charity, passing you on the street. He had a kind word for everyone.”
“I want you to remember something about Franco that most people can’t do. He saw everybody. He saw people in the street. He saw people down on their luck. He saw people in the burn unit in hospitals. He looked at them. He touched them. He was there for them.”
“So please in your hearts, keep him there.”