RIP Franco Harris you will be missed

You got to love Phil Villapiano...... He played with such passion and guts and I totally forgot he was on the field for the immaculate reception!! So here's a little tidbit that a lot of people may not know....... kenny Pickett and Phill villapiano went to the same high School...........👍👍👍

Franco Harris running was a thing of beauty.

Phil Villapiano is always a good interview

Pho is such a great guy and a badass raider you cant help but love that guy.

I love Phil "Foo" Villapiano a terrific story teller of the game. And I'm a die hard Steelers fan lol

I liked both teams. They were brutally physical.

Tatum always looked for the knockout punch against receivers. Had he not played that way, this t.d. never happens.

God bless Franco, a true gentleman of the game on and off the field, and Phil is a truly class act. It's fantastic that those to became great friends for over 40 years.

That was a great interview. I remember watching that play live as a 16 year old die hard Raiders fan from NY. Really enjoyed that. Tho the outcome was so disappointing to me. Great story Phil. It really was an amazing play that I will never forget either. Stuart.

Love and Respect that Steelers and Raiders had for each other...

That play and the Cal-Stanford "the band is on the field" play are both perfect in multiple what-ifs and crazy sequence of events.

Great interview. Even as a Steelers fan I always felt like the ball hit Fuqua but not the ground. Tatum indeed was going for a kill shot which was how the game was played then. Phil Villapiano was a great player who still gives great interviews. He’s a good man & hope he gets into the Hall of Fame.

I was a Raider fan at the time and I watched the entire game. The Steelers had dominated the game. Ken Stabler replaced an ineffective Daryl Lamonica in the fourth quarter and engineered the go ahead touchdown with the Snake making a key run on the winning drive to go ahead score making 7-6 Raiders. I had an uneasy feeling and I told my father that I didn't think the Raiders deserved to win the game because I believed the Steelers had outplayed the Raiders. There was only time left for 1 play and then the Immaculate Reception happened. I had seen the Raiders win so many games on the last play of the game that I figured their good fortune had run out.

As a Rams fan would have to concede that those Raider Steelers playoffs were the Super Bowl

I love watching this play

No holding at the line. The play is what it is. The Greatest play of all time!

50 years later the Raiders are still bitter! #PS4L

God bless Phil. Franco. All the players and coaches that made that game, and the 70's the GOLDEN AGE of football.

These guys are still whining a HALF a CENTURY later. The gift that keeps on giving!!

The NFL's version of the Zapruder film.

The ball never hit the grass. And the direction the ball flew, only Tatum made that happen. Physics

Phil been crying 😢 since 1972

Was in the den 50 years ago right before my 10th birthday watching this play. Loved the Raiders players individually bit hated the team because I was a Kansas City fan as a child growing up in LA! Loved the Steelers too. Franco was our hero after that play. Stopped liking the Steelers however after they got rid of Franco right before he was to break Jim Brown's all-time rushing record. Payton was going to eventually get it - but Franco would have had it first for at least a season. The Steelers shipped him off to Seattle! After all he did by making that reception!!!

RIP Franco Harris, 2 days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception.

Always liked Villapiano. A classic slobberknocker Raider from the 1970s

been a steeler fan since 74 but i just love phil and his commentary, lol he seems like a super great guy even tho he played for the raiders lol :)

I was a huge Raider fan back then. I was crushed by this loss. That said, Villapiano was not clipped. You can see the tight end hit him in the side. Not in the back his legs. The ball obviously hit Tatum. The ball bounced hard off Tatum as he hit Fuqua in his side/shoulder area. Not in Fuqua's back, as Phil describes it. Lastly, the height of Franco's knee in relationship to the top of the football suggests that the ball might have been an inch or two above the ground. Though that is more of a speculation. The ref looking at Franco from behind had a pretty good view on whether the ball was trapped or not. The hardest part of this outcome, for me, has been the whinning and belly aching from the Raiders over this play. They have their fair share of crazy calls made in their favor. The Holy Roller comes to mind. The Raiders were truly some of the toughest, meanest and most talented football players ever to throw on the pads. I wish they could have accepted the call without whinning about it and misrepresenting some of the events.

Thank you

Phil got a few things wrong, the film clearly shows 1. There was no Holding at the line of scrimmage by Pittsburgh 2. Villapiano Never had a hold of Franco 3. Feuqua may have touched the ball but it then Definitely ricocheted off of Tatum's shoulder pad 4. Franco clearly caught the ball IN the Air. 5. Villapiano was not clipped, was close but no...

Fantastic interview!

1976 Super Bowl champion. They were the champs for the 1976 season. The team that made it on a bullshit call against my Patriots!!!

I love Phil, but I have to contest how he can "know" there was holding on the line. He can only know if HE was held, and he doesn't claim that. Also, there is nothing in any of the surviving film that shows the ball hitting Frenchy. But a couple of still frames from different angles where it appears it might have hit Jack. Without question it must have hit one or both of them. And, there is no surviving film showing the ball hitting the ground about the time it reaches Franco. He appears to not break stride in "catching" the ball. His claim of a clip is his strongest argument, and that is 50/50 at best. Finally, it is understandable that the officials hesitated in making the call, it is a truly unique play.

Love Phil Villapiano! The worst moment of his career but is classy talking about it.

At 5:42 Villapiano states" that play kicked off the Steelers to some unbelievable years". It kicked off their dynasty. The Raiders were part of two separate famous controversial plays in two separate playoff games that launched the other two teams into their dynasties. The first was the Pittsburgh Steelers' Franco Harris immaculate reception. The second was the New England Patriots' Tom Brady "Tuck Rule".

I seen several other interviews with Villapiano, and this is the most mild he has ever been about the Immaculate Reception

Ball hit Tatum right between the numbers. He was to busy trying to knock Fuquas head off he could have intercepted the pass. Lol

The film analysis that has been made of this play though the years makes it the NFL's equivalent of the Zapruder film ... 😂

That Tatum hit was 2nd to what he did to Sammy White in 1977 SB, when he and George Atkinson clobbered White. Blew his helmet off his head, chin strap flying. But White held onto the ball.

It's like watching the Zapruder film.

RIP Franco. We know you caught it brother

R.I.P Franco condolences to the Steelers . he will be missed?

He is still so bitter, and wrong, about the play. I don't care for either team, but I remember watching it at my uncle's house. Still hard to see whom the ball hit first, but it sure looks like Tatum. Zero doubt that Harris caught the ball before it hit the ground. Such a memorable moment.

Phil Villapiano belongs in Canton. He's the embodiement of the Oakland Raiders.

I remember years ago seeing an interview with him, from soon after the game, where he was *seething*, saying not only this same kind of stuff but also how (as he said) Harris was LOUSY on the play -- "LOAFING" after Bradshaw threw the ball... he was so pissed, and to anyone else it was funny as hell. Anyone know if there's still video of that old interview??

Luv Phil V. but almost everything he explained about the play is contradicted by the new video. Happy that he and Franco bonded over that play and became great friends. RIP Franco.

The controversy keeps everyone involved a part of The Greatest Play in the NFL.

Not a fan of either side, but the coaches film shows Franco caught the ball clean, it never touched the ground. In the coaches film, I can't find any holding penalties. Finally, the best evidence seems to me the ball hit Tatum. You can argue it if you want, but in the end, two things can't be argued. Number one, in the grand scheme of things, the play doesn't matter because the Steelers lost to Miami the next week. As to whether the Raiders could have beaten the Dolphins had they had the opportunity to play them the next week is something we'll never know. Secondly, the whole play never even happens had Tatum played the ball instead of trying to destroy Fuqua. Tatum could have simply knocked the ball down or gone for the interception. His decision to be a bad ass and cheap shot Fuqua caused the deflection and allowed Franco to live in infamy.

@2:16 The football 🏈 does NOT touch Fuqua 😳 Jack tried to take him out when he could have got the interception and Oakland wins ! I’m almost 58 , seen this a thousand times, ( I hated them as a Minnesota Vikes fan since 1969) but this play was legitimate in my opinion 👀

The Steelers had to go through the Raiders twice to win Super Bowl 9 and 10. Those games were the best football games ever played. I've been a die hard fan of the Steelers since 1972. and I always respected the Oakland Raiders. No better football then to have John Madden whining on the sidelines to the referees

Saw a video where Villapiano brags about putting chemicals on his wristbands to burn the eyes of other team's players. Then they showed game film of him intentionally getting his wrist in somebody's face & the guy running off the field with his eyes burning. A Born Raider.

Love the raiders. They need to go back to there bad boy image.

Slow the video down to 0.25 speed. At the 2:19 mark, the ball CLEARLY bounced off of Tatum.

just face it - According to the rules at the time, it’s irrelevant whether Fuqua touched the ball if Tatum also touched it, and Tatum most definitely touched it.

0:15 No less than three Oakland Raiders players hesitated as Franco Harris caught the ricocheted ball. Phil Villapiano was the only Raiders player that stayed true to his assignment of shadowing Franco. If the Immaculate Reception footage is considered the NFL version of the Zapruder film, Villapiano is the equivalent to Secret Service agent Clint Hill. Despite the effort, however, it was too little, too late.

Franco Harris was a good guy who never gave up. Can't say anything bad on Franco Harris.

It hit Tatum first look at slow mo

The two most famous plays in NFL history are the Immaculate Reception and the Hail Mary, both resulting in touchdowns. Their names alone suggest there was Divine Intervention.

I was nine years old at the time. I am still really pissed off. There is still an empty feeling in my gut. I believe John Madden still feels the same way as well.

The next game the steelers lost to Miami. Undeafeated dolphins.... 1972.... that record still stands today.

Tatum clearly drove the ball backward 15 yards. If Fuqua touched it, it was barely.. if he had put a lot of touch on it, the ball would have NOT been pushed straight back in accordance with TATUMS' momentum. Fuqua would have pushed the ball to the right and the ricochet would have been WAY over to the right, or Up or something else. No, Tatums FORWARD motion drove the ball back and slightly to the left!, away from Fuqua's momentum. Just look for yourself! Also: Harris did not trap it. He made a great catch, Give him credit. Villapiano had NO CHANCE to tackle Harris, who had blown past him. Villapiano was not probably not clipped. But it was close. All of the other kitchen sink complaints are just weird.. "2 or 3 holding calls",.. One legit gripe was that there was no immediate "Touchdown" called. But that was more a sign of the times as they never reversed calls. The refs were waiting and checking to be sure. There is also no evidence of all the "safety" concerns that Al Davis and Madden and other Raiders have said over the years. The Steelers made an incredible play, avoiding a sack, never giving up on a ball, and returning it for a touchdown. This happened after the Raiders made an equally amazing play, Stabler's improbable touchdown run. I think it is time for the Raiders to stop whining about this. Honestly, there is no other play in the history of sports that I know of, where such conspiratorial whining takes place. Tatum clearly drives the ball back, and Harris clearly catches it and makes an incredible run for a touchdown, after Bradshaw made some heroic escapes to even get the pass off. That's it. While the Raiders were standing around after the ricochet, Harris, like a bolt of lightning seized the moment. Incredible. Give the man his due and shut up about the rest. Sorry, but its true.

If "ITS" and "BUTS" were candy and nuts OHOOOW! what a party we would all have!

Tatum drove the ball back upfield so the catch is legal. Only thing is did he really catch it. Not knowing makes this even more fantastic

The ball ricocheted back because of the force of Tatum. He was coming in hard. We always hated the Raiders and respected them. Now the Ravens have taken their place as most hated.

Phil has a pretty good argument about a clip, but everything else about the play was legit.

OMG you damn Raiders is always complaining.. Steelers won, end of story 💪

If the pass had been incomplete, Jack Tatum would have taken credit for breaking up the pass.

The ball definitely hit Tatum first. There's no way it would have deflected that far back had it hit Fuqua. Watch the A Football Life doc about it. A physicist agrees! ha ha

Another video on the immaculate reception and more excuses on what calls were missed and what players on both sides of the ball though happened....nothing new...it happened 50 years ago ..it is what it is...nothing changes...I'm not a fan of either team..RIP Franco...u were a class act. Gone too soon...same for John Madden RIP John...great man in all aspects of life..

LAW OF PHYSICS. The ball travels by equal and opposite reaction. Defender is going ( i will say right). Ball is going left and can only go right IF it hits a body going right. IF the ball hit the steelers that is traveling left, the same direction the ball was traveling, there is no FORCE that change its direction and speed

Phil is awesome but two things.. ball was never trapped on the ground by Franco..it was caught clean and getting blocked on the side is not a clip.

its sort of tatums fault, whey didnt he just tackle fuqua instead of going for a hit

Villapiano was a great player, but boy was he in fantasyland with his take. Franco trapped the ball??? C'mon, Phil! That's the ONE thing about this play that's indisputable! You can clearly see from every angle that he caught the ball before it hit the ground, with a few inches to spare. But I get it - I'm sure it still stings the Raider players, and they have never gotten over it.

RIP Franco....

The tell is they never show the entire ball....

It appears to me that there's no question the ball DID hit Tatum, the question being whether it deflected off Fuqua on the way to Franco. I'm not sure on the "catch" and think that might be the least debatable part of this. The clip, well, maybe, maybe not, it wasn't as flagrant as Phil made it sound on another time I saw him. What's funny, though, is if the TD is ruled "no TD" on the basis of any of those things, the play would probably hardly be remembered at all as an incompletion UNLESS Oakland knocked off Miami in the title game (that was the year of their 17-0 season). We're talking about it a half century later solely because it was a game-winning TD - and the team that won cranked up a dynasty soon thereafter. Poor Fuqua - his entire life in his obituary is going to be summarized by one play on a football field (we'd remember Tatum and Franco for other things, some even worse than this). But all anyone will know when they hear Fuqua's name is "that's the guy that did or didn't hit the ball in 1972." A sensational play and controversy and two throwbacks teams from the throwback era. What awesome to see this.

As great as it was...It was just "luck" that Franco was in the right place, at the right time"!!! Does anyone remember that "term"?

Is anyone aware that after this game, the Dallas-San Francisco game was played where Roger Staubach led that great comeback and won 30-28.

Tatum only interested in head hunting. Karma got him on that play.

According to the rules in 1972, once an offensive player touches the ball, he is the only player that can legally catch it. It did not matter, then, if a defensive player touches it, or not. Over the years, the rule has changed more than once, but that was the rule then. You don't have to believe me, look it up yourself. "If" Frenchy touches the ball, at all in any way, all other Steelers are ineligible, including Franco.🏴‍☠️

If Tatum had played the ball instead of trying to destroy Fuqua, Oakland wins.

Aww...sour grapes Phil... 😢

He's full of it. Tatum hit the ball with his helmet and Franco caught the ball well before it hit the ground. You can see it clearly.

All sour grapes. I’ve seen the close ups, the wide angle, etc. It was called correctly for the rules at the time.

The Immaculate Reception was the reason why Steelers humiliated Raiders two years later in AFC championship game? I've always thought the reason was that Villapiano and the rest of Raiders defense were ridiculed by Steelers in the 4th quarter.

Tatum was too worried about killing Fuqua.. Raiders were the dirtiest team in history.. Wah-wah 🤣🤣🤣🤣

And the sixth thing is that Franco slaughtered a bus load of orphans on his way down the sidelines...🤣

Off Tatum's left shoulder pad to Franco's hands. End of story.

Holding against the Steelers , Hell nearly every play has a potential holding penalty . The Steelers won that game , sure a fluke play but they won .

My TOP 5 sports robberies: 1972 Immaculate Reception 1972 Men's Gold Metal Olympics game 2001 Tuck Rule 2018 Saints Rams NFC Championship game 2019 Kentucky Derby

Phill and Franco good naturedly milked that play for all it's worth for decades. RIP Franco - all the best Phil.

I'd that play would have been called back, someone wouldn't have gotten out of there alive.

It wasn't a good rule to begin with and then it's also required judgment calls like this.

This was the same day as the 49ers' colossal playoff collapse to the Dallas Cowboys. Not a good day for the Bay Area.

The Raiders still refer to it as the 'Immaculate Deception'.

I hated the raiders when i was a kid and i liked franco harris...it seened as if every week the raiders would somehow cheat and win games like it was rigged like wrestling...i rember our tv bulb would get hot and our screen would go pink until it cooled down and it happened with about 3 minutes to go so we missed it and i had to call my aunt to ask her what happened abd she couldnt reall explain to me what happened cause she didnt know about football

It was a dumb rule that the NFL never should have had. What's wrong with 2 receivers touching the same pass? They had to know something like this was going to happen one day.

Tatum's at fault for his dirty hit on Fuqua.

I’m no Raiders or Steelers fan, so I have no love for either team. But Phil needs to get over this and face reality. From every angle available, the ball definitely hits Tatum. Does it hit Fuqua? Inconclusive. From every angle that shows Franco, he caught the ball clean. Doesn’t look to me that Phil got clipped at all. At best he was hit from the side, which would never be called as a clipping penalty. Holding? There’s holding on EVERY play! Ask anyone. It gets called maybe 5% of the time. I’m sure it sucked losing like that. But you lost. Maybe if you had stayed with Franco a little closer you could’ve caught the deflection. The way I see it, if anyone on the Raiders is to blame for the way this play turned out, it was 41 himself. Stop crying foul.

It's so obvious; the ball bounced off Tatum and it didn't hit the ground. Losers don't get to rewrite history.