Immaculate Reception

The Immaculate Reception is the nickname given to one of the most famous and utterly bizarre plays in the history of not only American football, but all American sports. It occurred in an AFC semi-final game at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 23, 1972.

Related Topics:
American football - AFC - Three Rivers Stadium - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - December 23 - 1972

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The Pittsburgh Steelers trailed the Oakland Raiders by the score of 7 to 6, facing fourth-and-ten on their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds remaining in the game and no time outs. Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw the football to the Raiders' 35-yard line, toward fullback Frenchy Fuqua. Raiders safety Jack Tatum reached Fuqua just as the ball did. Tatum's hit knocked Fuqua to the ground. The ball sailed backward several yards, end over end. Steelers running back Franco Harris, after initially blocking on the play, had moved forward in case Bradshaw needed another eligible receiver. He scooped up the sailing ball just before it hit the ground, apparently off the tops of his shoes, and ran the rest of the way downfield to score the touchdown that gave the Steelers a 12-7 lead with five seconds remaining in the game.

Related Topics:
Pittsburgh Steelers - Oakland Raiders - Terry Bradshaw - Frenchy Fuqua - Jack Tatum - Franco Harris

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The critical question was: Whom did the ball bounce off? If it bounced off Fuqua, and then Harris was the next to touch the ball, the reception was illegal under the rules of the time, which did not allow two offensive players to touch a pass in succession; the Raiders would gain possession and a sure win. If the ball bounced off Tatum, or if it bounced off Fuqua and then Tatum, the reception was legal, as a defensive player was the last to touch the ball.

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The game officials did not immediately make any signal, and there was no instant replay rule at the time. Referee Fred Swearingen telephoned the NFL's supervisor of officials, Art McNally, who was sitting in the press box, after which he signaled a touchdown. Fans immediately rushed the field, and it took fifteen minutes to clear them so that the point-after, or conversion, could be kicked to give the Steelers what turned out to be their final margin, 13-7.

Related Topics:
Instant replay - NFL

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The play is still disputed by those involved. The surviving videotape and photographs of the play are not conclusive. Tatum has said the ball did not bounce off him. Fuqua has been coy, supposedly saying he knows exactly what happened that day but will never tell. Raiders coach John Madden, currently a sportscaster with ABC television, still seems to be resentful. The linebacker who was covering Harris, Phil Viliapiano, has claimed he was clipped (illegally blocked from behind) before he could make a tackle.

Related Topics:
John Madden - ABC - Television

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The week after this playoff victory, the Steelers lost the AFC championship game to the Miami Dolphins, who would then win Super Bowl VII in their landmark undefeated season. The Steelers, however, would go on to become a dominant force in the NFL for the subsequent decade, winning four Super Bowls with such stars as Bradshaw, Harris, and Lynn Swann.

Related Topics:
Miami Dolphins - Super Bowl VII - Super Bowl - Lynn Swann

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The Immaculate Reception spawned a heated rivalry between the Steelers and Raiders, a rivalry that was at its peak during the 1970's, when both teams were among the best in the league and both were known for their hard-hitting, physical play.

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The phrase "Immaculate Reception" is a play on words of the Immaculate Conception, implying that the play was divine or miraculous in nature. It was first used on air by Myron Cope, the Steelers announcer who was reporting on the Steelers' victory. A woman named Sharon Levosky called Cope the night of the game and suggested the name (which was coined by her friend, Michael Ord). Cope used the term on television and the phrase stuck.

Related Topics:
Immaculate Conception - Myron Cope

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