10 things to know about the Immaculate Reception, the NFL's greatest play

10 things to know about the Immaculate Reception, the NFL's greatest play,The 50-year anniversary of the "Immaculate Reception" is Friday, a day before the Raiders-Steelers Christmas Eve game in Pittsburgh. The celebration, which is to include the retirement of running back Franco Harris' No. 32 jersey, will take on a somber tone with the news of his death Wednesday.

10 things to know about the Immaculate Reception, the NFL’s greatest play

The 50-year anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception” is Friday, a day before the Raiders-Steelers Christmas Eve game in Pittsburgh.

The celebration, which is to include the retirement of running back Franco Harris’ No. 32 jersey, will take on a somber tone with the news of his death Wednesday.

Former Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw, who threw the unforgettable “Immaculate Reception” pass, said teammates who will attend the game will celebrate Harris’ remarkable play. The catch planted the seed for one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties.

“Death is such sorrow, but at the same time, we celebrate death because we know he’s going to Heaven with all of our Steelers teammates. Will he be missed? Certainly. But we will celebrate him, and the Italian Stallion is going to a better place.” — Terry Bradshaw on @gmfb
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) December 21, 2022

Here are 10 things to know about the “Immaculate Reception,” the greatest play in NFL history.

1. Was the ‘Immaculate Reception’ legal?

In the final seconds of the Raiders-Steelers divisional-round playoff game, safety Jack “The Assassin” Tatum rocked Steelers RB John “Frenchy” Fuqua, sending Bradshaw’s pass ricocheting backward toward Harris. The rookie running back caught the ball and raced down the sideline for the winning score.

In today’s NFL, the play certainly would have been reviewed by replay officials in New York to see if Harris made a legal catch. He caught the deflected pass inches off the ground.

At the time, however, it was illegal for two offensive players downfield to touch the ball consecutively on a pass.

Officials determined (via replay) that Tatum — not Fuqua — had touched the ball last, making Harris’ reception legal. The Steelers won, 13-7.

2. An inspiration for instant replay reviews

In the first paragraph for his game recap, the New York Times’ William N. Wallace wrote, “Television helped decide a pro football game today.”

Wallace added, “Score one for man’s technology, in this case camera and film. The play was probably a first for football because of the confirmation by television.”

Replay in its current form was instituted in 1999.

3. Harris: ‘My mind is completely blank’

Harris doesn’t remember much about the play.

“I can’t remember from leaving the backfield to running down the sideline; I remember leaving the backfield, but I don’t remember anything in between,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2012. “My mind is completely blank. I can’t tell you if I saw the ball, or if I saw anything or if I knew what actually happened. It baffles my mind. What I knew, once I had it was, ‘run!’”

4. How ‘Immaculate Reception” came to be

As Teresa Varley notes for Steelers.com, the reception came after a major defensive gaffe. Late in the fourth quarter, rookie defensive lineman Craig Hanneman lost containment on Kenny “The Snake” Stabler, who scrambled 30 yards for a touchdown to give Oakland a 7-6 lead.

5. Who coined ‘Immaculate Reception’?

Per history.com, Michael Ord — who attended the game — went with his girlfriend to a Pittsburgh-area bar to celebrate the win.

“Growing up Catholic, I remember the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and I thought, ‘Damn.’ So, I climbed up on the table, and like you do in an old fire hall wedding, you know you have a spoon, and I banged on the glass.’ I would like to, from his day on… refer to this day as the feast of the Immaculate Reception. And the place went bonkers.”

A woman in the bar relayed the name to Pittsburgh TV personality Myron Cope, who used “Immaculate Reception” during his sportscast that night.

6. Oakland Raiders on a roll

The Steelers, a two-point favorite entering the game, didn’t have history on their side. The Raiders had played in four first-round playoff games prior to the game against the Steelers in 1972, outscoring opponents 158-34.

7. No one in Pittsburgh at home saw it live

Due to the NFL’s blackout rules at the time, no one in the Pittsburgh area watched the game live on TV. At the time, the league blacked out home games for those in cities with NFL teams, as relayed by GoErie.com.

8. Terry Bradshaw’s worst playoff appearance

Up until the “Immaculate Reception,” Bradshaw would have been happy had the game been blacked out everywhere. In his first playoff appearance, he was dreadful. If not for Harris being in the right place at the right time, it might have ranked as his worst playoff performance.

Prior to the pass, Bradshaw was 10-for-24 passing for 115 yards and an interception.

9. A series of firsts

The playoff win was the first in Steelers history and the first playoff appearance for head coach Chuck Noll, Bradshaw and Harris. However, the team’s dynasty run would have to wait a couple more seasons.

On Jan. 12, 1975, Pittsburgh won its first Super Bowl, a 16-6 win over Minnesota. It was the first of four Super Bowl wins in six seasons for the Steelers.

10. Pittsburgh lost its next game

The highs of completing the most legendary play in league history gave way to the lows of playoff defeat the next week in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh. The Steelers lost to the Dolphins, 21-17.

The Dolphins followed their win against the Steelers with a 14-7 win over Washington in the Super Bowl, completing the first and only undefeated season in NFL history.

The 1972 season was epic — perhaps the greatest in NFL history. The “Immaculate Reception” seared it into the brains of NFL fans for all time.