Mount Holly honors NFL Hall of Famer and hometown hero Franco Harris with new street sign

A half-hour passed after the closing remarks were made about NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris Tuesday, yet Mount Holly residents, family, and friends lingered outside of Rancocas Valley Regional High School, sharing laughs and telling stories about the legendary Pittsburgh Steelers running back.

On Tuesday morning, the community gathered to remember Harris, who died in December 2022 at age 72. The ceremony, organized by the Harris family and Mount Holly Mayor Chris Banks, dedicated a new street sign, “Franco Harris Way,” on the corner of Jacksonville Road and Ridgway Street, to the Mount Holly native and Steelers icon.

Before Franco “Dok” Harris Jr., Harris’ son, unveiled the street sign, the mayor, family members, and former teammates, including Penn State teammate Lydell Mitchell, and NFL peer Joe Washington, shared a few words about their memories of Harris and the person he was.

“Franco deserved this,” said his sister, Luana Harris. “He was the best. I truly miss him. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate him than to have Franco Harris Way on the street we grew up on. ... This is our home — Franco would love this.”

At the end of the ceremony, the mayor and several council members declared that Dec. 23 will now be known as Franco Harris Day in Mount Holly and Burlington County, in hopes that future generations will continue to remember the legend, who always looked to give back to his community.

Unveiling the sign on Tuesday held special meaning for Harris’ family. Each year, Franco would return to his hometown in mid-May to partake in the Mount Holly Pro Day, an annual nonprofit golf tournament that was established as a way to financially support area youth programs.

“He was always heavily involved. He came back every year for this event,” Banks said. “This is the first year without him, so it just made sense to do this on the morning of the event. Mount Holly, man, they love their own. It’s amazing to see everybody here.”

» READ MORE: Franco Harris was more than a Steelers icon. He was a cultural touchstone.

Franco grew up in Mount Holly on Ridgway Street, a stone’s throw away from the high school, where he was the star fullback on the football team. Luana remembers having to massage her brother’s legs after practice and even packing his bags for college each time he visited home.

“Girls did everything, boys did nothing but smile,” she added.

His success at Rancocas Valley led him to play at Penn State under Joe Paterno. During a recruiting trip, he connected with Mitchell, a Salem High School standout who spent nine seasons in the NFL.

Mitchell’s first impression of Harris was noticing the fellow running back’s 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame.

“You weren’t used to seeing guys like that,” Mitchell, 73, said. “Right away we became good friends and stayed in touch, both going to Penn State.

“With him it was real. He treated everybody like they were special. ... It didn’t matter where we were or what we were doing, he’d call you on the telephone, and the first thing he’d ask [was], ‘Man, how are you doing?’ He was always concerned about you.”

Franco went on to have a prolific professional career. He was drafted in the first round (No. 13 overall) of the 1972 NFL draft by the Steelers. Harris became the first Black player to be named Super Bowl MVP in 1975, rushed for 12,120 yards over his 13-year NFL career, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Franco might be best known for the “Immaculate Reception,” one of the most famous plays in NFL history. With the Steelers trailing the Oakland Raiders, 7-6, with 22 seconds left in the 1972 AFC divisional playoff round, quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a deep pass toward running back John ”Frenchy” Fuqua. The pass was broken up by Raiders safety Jack Tatum, setting the stage for Harris — who caught the ball via the deflection and ran 60 yards for a game-winning touchdown — to become the hero.

While fans will remember the Immaculate Reception, his family said the biggest impact Franco had was instilling kindness in others.

“The best advice he ever gave me was to treat people well,” Dok said. “Make sure to take care of people.”

Luana added: “He never judged anybody, whether you were homeless or filthy rich, he didn’t care. He always took the time to listen, and he was very patient. He would just give people the time to listen. It was so beautiful.”