By Darin “I figured he’d be picked among the first 10. I think he’s that good. But then a father always thinks his own son is pretty good, I guess.” ~ Cad Harris, father of Franco Harris, soon after the Pittsburgh Steelers selected his son in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft.
Evening Times
Trenton, New Jersey · Wednesday, February 02, 1972 via Newspapers.com
Back in 1972, there were no teams of “Draft Gurus” like there are today, but there were people in the know. The experts of the day expect Harris to be selected in the NFL Draft by one of the 28 teams, names like Pat Sullivan, Ed Marinaro, and Franco’s Nittany Lion backfield mate, Lydell Mitchell, were the brass ring first rounders tabbed.
The Steelers selected well, as Franco Harris went one pick later to help them win four Super Bowls, retired as a top-five rusher in NFL history, and is the only of the two players (4th-rounder Cliff Branch) in the 17-round 1972 NFL Draft to be enshrined in Canton so far.
