Adam Bottner

So in 1972, I am 10 years old, and I just fall in love with football. I love playing it with my friends every weekend in the park, and I love watching the NFL on Sundays every week. And I'm not very good at playing in the park, so I start focusing more on the watching of it on Sundays. And I just fall in love with everything about football.

So in 1972, I am 10 years old, and I just fall in love with football. I love playing it with my friends every weekend in the park, and I love watching the NFL on Sundays every week. And I'm not very good at playing in the park, so I start focusing more on the watching of it on Sundays. And I just fall in love with everything about football.

So in 1972, I am 10 years old, and I just fall in love with football. I love playing it with my friends every weekend in the park, and I love watching the NFL on Sundays every week. And I'm not very good at playing in the park, so I start focusing more on the watching of it on Sundays. And I just fall in love with everything about football.

Now, my family had moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a couple years before. So in the early 70s, the Steelers became a great team. And 1972 was really the first year that they had been great. in like 40 years. So that was the year I started liking football. So I decided I was going to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. And I fell in love with one particular player named Franco Harris.

Now, my family had moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a couple years before. So in the early 70s, the Steelers became a great team. And 1972 was really the first year that they had been great. in like 40 years. So that was the year I started liking football. So I decided I was going to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. And I fell in love with one particular player named Franco Harris.

Now, my family had moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a couple years before. So in the early 70s, the Steelers became a great team. And 1972 was really the first year that they had been great. in like 40 years. So that was the year I started liking football. So I decided I was going to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. And I fell in love with one particular player named Franco Harris.

He was Rookie of the Year in 1972. He was a great running back from Penn State. And he was my guy. And the Steelers were great that year. And they went to the playoffs for the first time in 40 years. And I was so excited. And I stayed home to watch the playoff game. They played the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. And the Steelers were losing 7-6 as time was running out.

He was Rookie of the Year in 1972. He was a great running back from Penn State. And he was my guy. And the Steelers were great that year. And they went to the playoffs for the first time in 40 years. And I was so excited. And I stayed home to watch the playoff game. They played the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. And the Steelers were losing 7-6 as time was running out.

He was Rookie of the Year in 1972. He was a great running back from Penn State. And he was my guy. And the Steelers were great that year. And they went to the playoffs for the first time in 40 years. And I was so excited. And I stayed home to watch the playoff game. They played the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. And the Steelers were losing 7-6 as time was running out.

They had about 20 seconds left in the game. Terry Bradshaw, the quarterback for the Steelers, fades back. Probably the last play of the game was fourth down. It wasn't going to happen. He throws it downfield. Ball gets batted down. Game should be over. But out of nowhere... Franco Harris appears, like magically, and grabs the ball just as it's about to hit the ground.

They had about 20 seconds left in the game. Terry Bradshaw, the quarterback for the Steelers, fades back. Probably the last play of the game was fourth down. It wasn't going to happen. He throws it downfield. Ball gets batted down. Game should be over. But out of nowhere... Franco Harris appears, like magically, and grabs the ball just as it's about to hit the ground.

They had about 20 seconds left in the game. Terry Bradshaw, the quarterback for the Steelers, fades back. Probably the last play of the game was fourth down. It wasn't going to happen. He throws it downfield. Ball gets batted down. Game should be over. But out of nowhere... Franco Harris appears, like magically, and grabs the ball just as it's about to hit the ground.

He shouldn't even have been in the area, supposedly. He picks it up. Nobody even tries to tackle because nobody can figure out what just happened. He runs 50 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers win. I'm out of my mind. I'm so excited. Franco Harris is my hero for life at this point. The Steelers are my favorite team. It's ridiculous how much I love the Steelers.

He shouldn't even have been in the area, supposedly. He picks it up. Nobody even tries to tackle because nobody can figure out what just happened. He runs 50 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers win. I'm out of my mind. I'm so excited. Franco Harris is my hero for life at this point. The Steelers are my favorite team. It's ridiculous how much I love the Steelers.

He shouldn't even have been in the area, supposedly. He picks it up. Nobody even tries to tackle because nobody can figure out what just happened. He runs 50 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers win. I'm out of my mind. I'm so excited. Franco Harris is my hero for life at this point. The Steelers are my favorite team. It's ridiculous how much I love the Steelers.

The crazy thing was we had a friend in Pittsburgh who somehow became friends with Franco Harris somehow, and he knew how much I loved the Steelers and Franco. So he would send me stuff in the mail. I'd get an autographed picture. I'd get Franco's Italian Army T-shirt, which Franco was part Italian, and the Italian community in Pittsburgh embraced him. So I was just so in love with Franco Harris.

The crazy thing was we had a friend in Pittsburgh who somehow became friends with Franco Harris somehow, and he knew how much I loved the Steelers and Franco. So he would send me stuff in the mail. I'd get an autographed picture. I'd get Franco's Italian Army T-shirt, which Franco was part Italian, and the Italian community in Pittsburgh embraced him. So I was just so in love with Franco Harris.

The crazy thing was we had a friend in Pittsburgh who somehow became friends with Franco Harris somehow, and he knew how much I loved the Steelers and Franco. So he would send me stuff in the mail. I'd get an autographed picture. I'd get Franco's Italian Army T-shirt, which Franco was part Italian, and the Italian community in Pittsburgh embraced him. So I was just so in love with Franco Harris.

It was ridiculous, obviously. But you're a 10-year-old kid, and these things happen. You just get so focused on these things. It can only happen to a 10-year-old, you know? And I grow up, though, and I continue to be, you know, he continues to be my hero. It's just sort of ingrained in your brain. You can't help it. I loved Franco Harris so much that in 1975, I invited him to my bar mitzvah.

It was ridiculous, obviously. But you're a 10-year-old kid, and these things happen. You just get so focused on these things. It can only happen to a 10-year-old, you know? And I grow up, though, and I continue to be, you know, he continues to be my hero. It's just sort of ingrained in your brain. You can't help it. I loved Franco Harris so much that in 1975, I invited him to my bar mitzvah.