Rose Bowl pregame: Nittany Lions pay tribute to the late Franco Harris

PASADENA, Calif. — Penn State’s football program paid tribute Monday to the late Franco Harris prior to the Rose Bowl game with Utah.

Penn State head coach James Franklin walked off the team bus wearing a No. 34 jersey. That was Harris’ number during his time in State College. The Nittany Lions will be wearing their visiting white against the Utes.

Penn State’s players also wore No. 34 jerseys in honor of Harris, the famous running back who won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Nittany Lions arrived to the Rose Bowl wearing No. 34 jerseys to honor the late Franco Harris who wore No. 34 at Penn State ????

(via @PennStateTT)pic.twitter.com/n6ApwNM1Qq

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 2, 2023

Penn State’s radio broadcast team of Steve Jones and Jack Ham also wore No. 34 jerseys. Ham was Harris’ teammate at Penn State and at Pittsburgh.

Harris passed away late last month.

In addition, the helmets Penn State will wear in the Rose Bowl include a small blue and white decal on the back with the initials “FH”.

Franklin paid tribute to Harris at the start of Penn State’s Rose Bowl media day session back in State College late last month.

“Obviously, a huge loss, a huge loss for football in general, college football, NFL, Penn State, really Pennsylvania,” Franklin said of Harris in December.

Penn State coach James Franklin wearing Franco Harris’ No. 34 during Rose Bowl pregame pic.twitter.com/RDhXnWSIiw

— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) January 2, 2023

“For him to have the type of career that he had at Penn State, then go on and do it at the Steelers. But more importantly than that, just an unbelievable human being.

“(He) was really an ambassador for the university and the football program. Was a servant leader. Every time I had a chance to be around him, I was just so impressed with him and his wife. Obviously, very involved with a lot of different causes throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Just an amazing, amazing human being.”

Harris was 72 when he passed away. He was a three-time letterman at Penn State and a key figure during the Lions’ 29-4 run from 1969-71. The Penn State backfield of Harris and Lydell Mitchell ranks among the best in program history.

Harris ran for 2,002 yards at Penn State and scored 24 touchdowns on the ground. He was the No. 12 overall pick in the 1972 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.