Franco Harris statue moved at Pittsburgh airport (George & Nellie, too)

FINDLAY TWP. – Now you don't need an airline ticket to visit a statue of one of the greatest icons in NFL and Pittsburgh history.

The Franco Harris statue, depicting the moment he made the famous Immaculate Reception, has been moved to a new spot at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The airport's George Washington and Nellie Bly historical statues are joining him, too.

Relocated to the airport's Landside Terminal, the three statues now stand in a more accessible area, behind the Information Desk near the primary TSA checkpoint, viewable even by people without airplane tickets.

For two decades, the lifelike Harris and Washington statues greeted arriving passengers in the airport's Airside Terminal as they headed toward the escalators leading to the trams that transport people to the Landside Terminal's baggage claim and airport exits.

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For western Pennsylvania expats returning home, or first-time visitors to the region, the statue of uniformed Pittsburgh Steelers legend Harris atop the escalators was a must-get photo op. When making his first Pittsburgh visit after being drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, running back Najee Harris made sure to honor Franco by posing at his statue.

When Franco Harris died unexpectedly on Dec. 20, fans flocked to his airport statue to pay their respects, doing the same to a Franco monument next to Stage AE on Pittsburgh's North Side at the exact spot where the football hall-of-famer famously made the Immaculate Reception in 1972, one of sports' most legendary moments.

In the days after Harris' death, the airport was inundated with requests by people eager to get through the security checkpoint even though they had not bought a plane ticket because they wanted to visit the Harris statue, Pittsburgh International Airport spokesman Matt Neistein said. Those requests could not be fulfilled, though that did inspire airport officials to relocate the statues to a part of the Landside Terminal that does not require TSA-approved access.

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“Franco Harris was a man of the people, and we wanted to give fans access to him regardless of whether they’re traveling or not,” Keny Marshall, arts & culture manager at the airport, said in the airport's Blue Sky News newsletter. “He represents so many of the best parts of Pittsburgh, and now his statue is doing that in a much more prominent position.”

Offered in partnership with the Heinz History Center, the three statues, including one for trailblazing journalist Bly introduced in 2022, date back almost 20 years.

“Franco, George, and Nellie are each known for making history here in western Pennsylvania during their early 20s, so it’s great to see them side-by-side in the Landside Terminal, where all visitors to the Pittsburgh International Airport can learn more about their important achievements,” said Brady Smith, director of marketing and communications for the history center.

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The Harris statue underwent a full refurbishment in 2019. It has become a beacon for western Pennsylvanians and Steelers fans who “know they’re home” when they see Franco, Neistein said.

“We appreciate how important he’s become to so many of our passengers, and we really feel this is the best way to share him with the region,” Marshall said. “And, of course, we couldn’t leave his friends Nellie and George behind.”

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This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Franco Harris statue moved at Pittsburgh International Airport