{{Infobox Joueur de Football américain
| nom = Franco Harris
| image = Franco Harris.jpg
| taille_image = 200
| légende_image = Statue de Harris à l'Aéroport international de Pittsburgh
| nom_complet = 
| pays = 
| date_de_naissance = 7 mars 1950
| ville = Fort Dix (États-Unis)
| date_de_décès = 
| lieu_de_décès = 
| taille = 1.88
| poids = 104
| surnom = 
| numero_en_club = 32
| position = 
| saison_NCAA = ....-1971
| équipe_NCAA = Nittany Lions
| heisman = 
| choix_draft = 
| année_draft = 
| équipe_draft = 
| saison_NFL = 1972-1983<br> 1984 
| équipe_NFL = Steelers de Pittsburgh<br>Seahawks de Seattle
| dates_équipes_autre = 
| années_super_bowl = 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979
| années_pro_bowl = 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977<br />1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
| MVP = 
| début_carrière = 1972
| fin_carrière = 1984
| HOFannée = 1990
| statistiques = HAR387270
}}
'''Franco Harris''' (né le 7 mars 1950 à Fort Dix dans le New-Jersey aux États-Unis) est un ancien joueur professionnel de football américain ayant joué la majorité de sa carrière dans la  pour les Steelers de Pittsburgh et en 1990, il est admis au Pro Football Hall of Fame<ref>- Liste des joueurs des Steelers membres du Pro Football Hall of Fame sur [http://news.steelers.com/MediaContent/2007/08/22/05/Steelers_Hall_of_Fame_80310.pdf http://news.steelers.com/].</ref>.

== Biographie ==
Son père d'origine Pete qui jouera au football américain à l'université.

Franco Harris rejoint le championnat universitaire et l'équipe des Nittany Lions de l'draft de la  en 1972<ref> Draft 1972 de la NFL sur [http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/draft/1972.jsp http://www.profootballhof.com/].</ref>.

Lors de sa première saison en 1972, il devient le quatrième joueur de l'histoire de la NFL à courir plus de  MVP des Steelers<ref name="honnorssteelers"> Liste des joueurs des Steelers honorés sur [http://news.steelers.com/tradition/awardsandhonors/ http://news.steelers.com/].</ref>. Lors de cette première saison, il inscrit également 10 '''' dont celui permettant à son équipe de se qualifier pour la première fois pour les ''''. Les Steelers vont tout de même perde en finale de la American Football Conference contre les Dolphins de Miami futurs champions du Super Bowl.

Entre 1973 et 1981, il va systématiquement être sélectionné pour jouer le Pro Bowl de la NFL<ref name="honnorssteelers"/>. En 1974, il accède avec les Steelers une troisième fois consécutive aux '''' mais cette fois-ci les Steelers se qualifient pour le Super Bowl IX qui se joue en janvier 1975. C'est la première fois que l'équipe atteint le Super Bowl et ils sont alors opposés aux Vikings du Minnesota, déjà deux fois finaliste mais jamais vainqueur. Les Steelers font finalement remporter 6 à 16 leur première apparition dans le Super Bowl et Harris, associé à Rocky Bleier, va être élu MVP du match en réussissant 158 '''' de course et un '''' sur 34 portées du ballon - les Vikings ne porteront la balle que sur un total de 17 ''''<ref>- Compte rendu de la finale 1974 du Super Bowl sur [http://news.steelers.com/MediaContent/2007/08/22/05/Super_Bowl_IX_80312.pdf http://news.steelers.com/].</ref>.

{{Infobox NFLretired
|image=Franco Harris.jpg
|caption=<small>Statue of Harris at the Pittsburgh International Airport. The statue replicates the shoestring catch Harris made in what would become known as the Immaculate Reception.</small>
|position=Running back
|number=32, 34
|birthdate=<BR>Fort Dix, New Jersey
|debutyear=1972
|finalyear=1984
|draftyear=1972
|draftround=1
|draftpick=13
|college=Penn State
|teams=<nowiki></nowiki><!--This forces MediaWiki to recognize the first bullet. Kind of a workaround to a bug.-->
* 1972-1983)
* 1984)
|stat1label=Rushing Yards
|stat1value=12,120
|stat2label=AVG
|stat2value=4.1
|stat3label=Total TDs
|stat3value=100
|nfl=HAR387270
|highlights=<nowiki></nowiki><!--This forces MediaWiki to recognize the first bullet. Kind of a workaround to a bug.-->
* 9x 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
* 7x All-Pro selection (1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)
* NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
* 4x Super Bowl Champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
* Super Bowl IX MVP
* 1972 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
* 1972 UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year
|HOF=1990
}}
'''Franco Harris''' (b. Hall of Fame American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Harris was born in Italian mother in Italy at the end of Nittany Lions, Harris served primarily as a blocker for the Nittany Lions' All-American running back Lydell Mitchell.

In the 1972 NFL draft he was chosen by the Baltimore Colts in the draft.) He played his first 12 years in the NFL with the Steelers; his 13th and final year (1984) was spent with the Seattle Seahawks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

==NFL==
In his first season with the Steelers (1972), Harris was named the league's rookie of the year by both ''Pittsburgh's large Italian-American population: his fans dubbing themselves "Franco's Italian Army" and wore army helmets with his number on them.  

Harris was chosen for 9 consecutive Vietnam veteran Rocky Bleier combined with a strong defense to win four Super Bowls in the 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979 seasons. In 1975 he was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX; in that game he rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries for a 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Harris was the first African American as well as the first Italian-American to be named  Super Bowl MVP. Harris was a major contributor for the Steelers in all of their first four Super Bowl wins. His Super Bowl career totals of 101 carries for 354 yards are records that stand to this day and his 4 career rushing touchdowns are tied for the second most in Super Bowl history.

Critics complained about Harris' tendency to run out of bounds instead of taking on tacklers for extra yards. Harris felt that he extended his career by avoiding unnecessary contact. <ref>http://archive.sportingnews.com/nfl/100/83.html</ref>

In his 13 professional seasons, Harris gained 12,120 yards on 2,949 carries, a 4.1 yards per carry average, and scored 91 rushing touchdowns. He caught 307 passes for 2,287 yards (2091 m), a 7.4 average, and 9 touchdowns. While the Steelers no longer officially retire uniform numbers, they have not reissued his number 32 since he left the team, and it is generally understood that no Steeler will ever wear that number again.

Following the 1983 season, Harris and 1984 season<ref>http://www.boston.com/sports/football/articles/2006/02/03/franco_harris_ended_career_with_seahawks/</ref> and would play eight games with the team, earning only a few hundred yards before retiring.

Harris was a key player in one of professional football's most famous plays, dubbed "The Immaculate Reception" by Pittsburgh sportscaster John "Frenchy" Fuqua right as defender  Jack Tatum arrived to tackle Fuqua.  Harris snatched the ball just before it hit the ground and ran it in to win the game. The Raiders challenged the touchdown, claiming that Fuqua had handled the ball before Harris, which would invalidate the score because at that time it was against the rules for two offensive receivers to touch the ball. The Steelers maintained that the ball had touched Tatum instead. According to a recounting by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the film of the play is inconclusive.<ref>http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=436</ref> (Later controversy stemming from Raiders linebacker Phil Villapiano's assertion that Harris was only in position to catch the ball because he was lazy is widely discounted. Harris's original assignment on the play was to block, but he headed downfield when the Raiders forced Bradshaw out of the pocket, and can be clearly seen running before catching the deflected ball.)

In Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, which don't count towards his total with the Steelers. Alongside Bettis, Harris is one of only two running backs to have earned 10,000 yards rushing while with the Steelers.