When he was a senior in high school, Tony Dungy was watching the Steelers’ playoff game against the Oakland Raiders with his dad when the Immaculate Reception occurred. He saw the collision between running back John Fuqua and Raiders safety Jack Tatum and has a vivid memory of Franco Harris catching the deflected pass off his shoe tops.
“I was thinking, man, this is the most lucky play I’ve ever seen in sports,” Dungy said. “I turned to my dad said, ‘I can’t believe this.’”
Five years later, Dungy was signed as a free agent by the Steelers and realized what he witnessed on Dec. 23, 1972 was no accident.
“I’m in training camp and I watched him and coach (Chuck) Noll always put the ball on the 40 in training camp and every time he got the ball he always ran to the end zone,” Dungy said. “I watched the way he hustled. I remember calling my dad and saying, ‘It wasn’t luck. That’s who he is. That’s how he plays.’”
Like all former teammates, Dungy was stunned and saddened when he learned Harris passed away four days before his No. 32 jersey was going to be retired as part of the Immaculate Reception golden anniversary celebration. Dungy shared more than a locker room for seven years with Harris. They are both members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Dungy won’t be in Baltimore on Sunday night when the Steelers (7-8) face the Ravens (10-5) in prime time. But he will be in the studio in his role as analyst on NBC’s “Football Night in America” pregame and halftime shows, and he will be remembering everything he learned from his former teammate.
“You had a great player who showed us how to be champions,” Dungy was saying on the phone on Wednesday. “Going up the hill at Saint Vincent College, talking to everybody, stopping and taking pictures with kids, signing autographs, just showing you can be a superstar and still have those times with people.
“I’d watch the mail get delivered in a big basket every day, with 20 to 30 pieces of mail, and he’s answering every one and sending back. People talk about Steelers Nation now and I really think that’s where it started — that connection that people had with him, and he showed us how to connect with everyone else.
“He was such a part of that. He was so approachable. I posted a picture on my social media account and it was Franco, Rocky (Bleier) and I at a charity event and Franco basically took me with him. I was a rookie and he took me and said, ‘This is what we do.’ That’s who he was.”
Dungy said he saw some of Harris’ spirit in defensive end Cam Heyward in the Christmas Eve victory against the Raiders — a game in which Heyward had three tackles for loss, including two sacks, and a batted pass at the line of scrimmage.
Two of Heyward’s seven tackles came on the Raiders’ final drive. His second sack came on the previous drive and was for a 10-yard loss on the second down. Heyward was named AFC defensive player of the week for his performance.
“He’s a guy that didn’t play with Franco, but they kind of understand each other,” Dungy said. “Cam obviously had a little extra fire. You could see that. It transmitted in that final drive and in the last quarter.”
The Steelers have won five of their past seven games, including four of the past five, to keep them in some type of postseason discussion, limited as it might be. But they could be mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture even before kickoff if the Miami Dolphins, who have lost four in a row, beat the Patriots in New England in a 1 p.m. game.
Dungy said the Steelers are beginning to exhibit some of that old-time “grit” he is accustomed to seeing.
“That’s always going to be there with Mike’s teams,” Dungy said of Tomlin, whom he had on his coaching staff in Tampa Bay in 2001. “They’re starting to find a little of that chemistry. It’s probably still not the same power game I’m used to seeing with the Steelers. But I think (Kenny) Pickett has brought a little energy and they’re throwing the ball better. They seem to have jelled on offense.”
Dungy said having outside linebacker T.J. Watt back adds a familiar element to the defense.
“He’s almost like Franco was — he brings something that lifts everyone up,” Dungy said.
Harris certainly did that for him.
Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter @gerrydulac.
First Published: December 28, 2022, 6:33 p.m.
Updated: December 29, 2022, 11:16 a.m.
