Franco Harris, a football legend who played running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, died at the age of 72. His death is sad because it happened just days before the Steelers were going to retire his No.
32 Jersey on the 50th anniversary of his “immaculate reception” play at Acrisure Stadium. Most people remember the NFL Hall of Fame player for an amazing catch he made in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in 1972.
Early Life of Franco Harris: Childhood and Education
Harris was born at Fort Dix in the state of New Jersey. He was born to Cad Harris and Parenti Harris.
When her husband came back from the war to the United States, she was called a “war bride.” Harris got his high school diploma from Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey, in 1968.
After that, he went to Penn State University and played football for the Nittany Lions. Even though he mostly blocked for All-American running back Lydell Mitchell, he ran for 2,002 yards, scored 24 touchdowns, and averaged more than 5 yards per carry.
He also caught 28 passes for 352 yards and one more touchdown. If you’ve been reading our article from the beginning up until now, you should have a good idea of how much Franco Harris is worth.
Family of Franco Harris
His father, Cad Harris, was in the military during World War II. He was stationed in Italy. Gina Parenti Harris, his mother, was born in Italy and married an American soldier during World War II. After the war, she and her husband moved to the United States.
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Pete Harris, a college football player who was an All-American, died of a heart attack on August 15, 2006. He was 49 years old.
On July 27, 2009, Harris’s son Franco “Dok” Harris made it official that he was running for Mayor of Pittsburgh. In the general election on November 3, he got 25% of the vote, which put him in second place.
Who is the Wife of Franco Harris?
Before he died in December 2022, Harris had been married to Dana Dokmanovich for a long time. Since they met in college, they have been together. But no one knows when the two of them got married.
Dana has kept most of her life quiet, but it is known that she was born in Serbia and moved to the US when she was a child. In the 1980s, she was a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines. In recent years, Dana and her husband were seen at a number of public events.
Franco Dokmanovich Harris Jr., who was born in 1979, is the couple’s son. Dokmanovich goes by the nickname “Dok” and wants to make a living as an inventor and business owner.
Dok told everyone that his father had died and said that he had died in his sleep. Dok went to Sewickley Academy and then went to Princeton University to get a degree in politics.
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He also got his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and went to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Bess Dokmanovich, Dana’s mother, is said to have lived with them as well. She worked as Harris’ secretary and called herself “Franco’s mother-in-law,” so to speak, when she talked about herself.
Franco Harris Cause of Death
In a statement to WTAE, Jim Porter, president of the Professional Football Hall of Fame, said, “We have lost an amazing football player, an amazing ambassador for the Hall, and, most importantly, one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet.”
Franco not only changed football, but he also changed the lives of a huge number of people in very good ways.
The news source also said that it wasn’t clear right away what killed Franco. Dok, Franco’s son, told the Associated Press that his father died “overnight,” but he didn’t say why.
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Franco is best known for his amazing play in 1972, when he kept running while everyone else on the field stopped.
This helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win a playoff game against Oakland. It was the first playoff win for the Steelers in 40 years. It was called the “immaculate reception.” From 1972 to 1983, Franco played for the Steelers.
Franco’s football career went through the roof after that miraculous play. He played for 12 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one year with the Seattle Seahawks before he retired.
Franco stopped playing football and opened a bakery. He also got involved in charity work and became the chairman of Pittsburgh Promise, which helps Pittsburgh public school kids get college scholarships.
Harris’s wife, Dana Dokmanovich, and son, Dok, are the only people who will remember him.
Franco Harris Net Worth
Franco Harris is said to have a huge net worth because he played in the NFL for 14 years.
Most of his money comes from being a football player. People say that Franco Harris is worth $3 million.
Franco Harris also did things after he retired that made him money.
All of these things added to the money he already had, which he will leave to his son and his wife.