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For Haslett, Facing Steelers Stirs 'Immaculate' Childhood Memory

Current Titans assistant was a Pittsburgh teenager who rushed the field for the NFL's 'greatest moment.'

All week, the NFL has looked forward to Sunday’s game between the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers at Nissan Stadium.

For Titans inside linebackers coach Jim Haslett, however, it was also an excuse to look back.

Haslett, who grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, was at Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers defeated the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional Round in stunning fashion on Dec. 23, 1972. Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw fired the ball downfield on the final play of the game, it deflected off of the helmet of Raiders safety Jack Tatum or off the hands of wide receiver John Fuqua, and into the possession of Steelers fullback Franco Harris, who ran more than 30 yards for the game-winning touchdown

The play is better known as the Immaculate Reception.

“I grew up as a Steeler fan. I was there for the Immaculate Reception,” Haslett said this week. “I jumped on the field and Franco ran right by me. Being a young kid, that was the most exciting part of it.”

The play, of course, was not without controversy.

While it lasted about 15 seconds, it took officials more than 10 minutes to declare it a touchdown as fans, including Haslett, continued to celebrate on the field. Officials wondered if the catch was legal because the ball may have been touched by Fuqua before it ended up in Harris’ hands.

Fans today still debate the play, which was voted as the NFL’s greatest moment last season as part of the league’s 100th anniversary celebration.

“I didn’t know, I didn’t know what happened,” Haslett recalled. “I just saw the pass, and then I saw Franco running. We were running on the field. I really couldn’t figure out what was going on. I didn’t figure it out until later on in the day.”

Haslett played in the National Football League with two teams (Buffalo Bills and New York Jets) until 1987. He started his NFL coaching career in 1993 and has made several stops before landing with the Titans, including three years as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator (1997-1999) before becoming a first-time head coach with the New Orleans Saints in 2000.

He will never forget the time he stormed the field as a fan, though. Yet he has watched the replay countless times over the years.

“I always try to figure out where I am on the field all of the time,” Haslett said.