Which player made the Immaculate Reception in the 1972 NFL playoffs?

Franco Harris made the Immaculate Reception in the 1972 NFL playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers fullback caught a deflected pass and ran for the winning touchdown against the Oakland Raiders on December 23, 1972.

The play occurred with Pittsburgh trailing 7–6 and facing fourth down with 22 seconds remaining. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw toward John Fuqua, but Raiders safety Jack Tatum collided with Fuqua as the ball arrived. Harris, who had initially been blocking, tracked the deflection, caught it just before it touched the ground, and sprinted into the end zone for a 13–7 Steelers victory.

The reception became famous partly because its legality was disputed. Under the rules then in effect, Harris could catch the pass only if it had first touched a defender, or had touched both Tatum and Fuqua. Officials ruled the play a touchdown, but the exact contact was never conclusively settled. Modern NFL rules would allow such a deflection regardless.

Harris’s catch helped launch the Steelers’ rise as a 1970s powerhouse. The play remains one of the most recognizable moments in NFL history, and its name refers to the seemingly miraculous timing of the reception.