It is December 23rd and that means that it is time once again to celebrate the anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. 39 years ago today the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Oakland Raiders 12-7 in the AFC divisional playoff game with one of the most famous plays in the history of the NFL at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. The date was December 23rd, 1972 and the 4th down play featured a pass intended for running back Frenchy Fuqua from quarterback Terry Bradshaw that was deflected backwards up into the air after Raiders safety Jack Tatum hit Fuqua just as the ball arrived. Running back Franco Harris caught the ball off of the deflection, just as it was about to hit the ground and ran 42 yards for a Steelers touchdown, giving the Steelers the lead and the eventual win.
I posted about the players on the field and the play itself last year on the anniversary date and below are the Youtube videos.
