How the Immaculate Reception sparked an unlikely friendship

PHIL VILLAPIANO WALKS done the Pittsburgh airport. It is precocious Wednesday evening, 3 days earlier Christmas. Even astatine 73, helium inactive looks similar a linebacker -- sturdy chest, stout shoulders, alloy chin. His hairsbreadth is white, but his eyes creation the mode they person for decades.

Villapiano should hatred Pittsburgh. He was an Oakland Raider successful the 1970s, which means Pittsburgh oregon the Steelers oregon truly thing with achromatic and golden ought to marque his humor tally hot. The Raiders and Steelers despise each other. Everyone knows this.

But Villapiano is different. It doesn't substance that helium was successful the mediate of the play that birthed each the animosity. It doesn't substance that the weird and arguable and historical "Immaculate Reception" happened close successful beforehand of him.

Villapiano knows astir who emotion the Raiders deliberation of Franco Harris arsenic a villain. Only helium doesn't consciousness anger. Not for Harris. It astir surely gets mislaid successful the past and contention and play of it all, but the astir meaningful communicative to travel retired of the astir celebrated play successful NFL past mightiness person been this beautiful, improbable relationship betwixt 2 men who were connected other sides. Over the past 50 years, Villapiano and Harris person eaten unneurotic and gone to events together. They person brought their kids unneurotic and told stories together. They person shared time. They person shared memories.

In fact, each twelvemonth connected Dec. 23, Harris volition telephone Villapiano and say, "Hey Phil, what were you doing this clip 30 years ago?" and Villapiano volition growl and grimace and outcry out, "We were getting screwed!" and they volition laughter and laugh. It is however they say, "I emotion you."

So this year, 3 days earlier Christmas, Villapiano comes to Pittsburgh. He is present for the crippled betwixt the Raiders and Steelers wherever the NFL volition observe 50 years since the Immaculate Reception. He is present to spot the Steelers discontinue Harris' number. He is present to grant his friend.

"I came to beryllium with my buddy," Villapiano says successful the airdrome connected Wednesday night, pausing successful beforehand of the statue of Harris that greets everyone coming disconnected a plane. Then helium takes a breath, bends down and signs the publication that was placed successful beforehand of the statue aboriginal that morning.

"Franco," helium writes successful swooping script. "You were the best. I volition miss you."

THE JOKE BETWEEN them was that erstwhile it came to the portion that mattered, Franco couldn't remember.

The preamble, sure, they could hold on. Last play of the game, Steelers down 1, fourth-and-a-mile from the Pittsburgh 40 and Terry Bradshaw throws a walk successful the absorption of Frenchy Fuqua.

Ask Villapiano astir what happened then, and he'll bash a coagulated -- solid -- 8 minutes connected however determination was amerciable touching erstwhile the shot ricocheted disconnected Fuqua and Harris someway caught it, positive Harris didn't really drawback it due to the fact that the shot grazed the crushed and, successful addition, 1 of Harris' teammates broke the rules by clipping Villapiano truthful helium couldn't tackle Harris arsenic Harris ran the shot successful for the game-winning score. "There were astir 5 penalties, it was wholly incorrect and we won the game," Villapiano said earlier this year. He nodded defiantly.

But inquire Harris astir what helium recalls arsenic the shot floated successful his direction, and the details would ever someway autumn away. A fewer months ago, sitting successful a seat successful downtown Pittsburgh, Harris ticked disconnected specifics: however the play was called "60 option" and the crushed helium ran toward the shot from his blocking presumption was due to the fact that it's what Joe Paterno had ever preached to him astatine Penn State.

Then, erstwhile helium got to the constituent wherever the magic happened, a tiny grin pulled astatine his mouth.

"I commencement taking a mates steps to the ball, and I retrieve thing else, my caput is simply a implicit blank," helium said. "It conscionable seems truthful unusual that I person encephalon fog and I retrieve not 1 azygous thing." He shrugged, past added that helium has ever recovered it absorbing that his mother, watching connected tv backmost successful New Jersey, had enactment connected 1 of her Italian euphony albums close earlier the play. "And close astatine that time," helium said, his eyes a small spot wider, "Ave Maria was playing. That's what they archer me."

A shared Italian practice is really what brought Harris and Villapiano closer. Months aft the Immaculate Reception, Harris won an Italian American jock grant successful New Jersey, and Villapiano's parents happened to beryllium astatine the banquet. Villapiano's begetter and Harris' mother, it turned out, came from the aforesaid portion of Italy, and they struck up a conversation. Harris' ma was tense astir having to talk successful her breached English, but Villapiano's dada -- who spoke the aforesaid dialect of Italian -- helped her truthful she could unbend and bask her son's night.

Harris noticed. And the adjacent clip helium saw Villapiano, helium pulled him close. "Do you cognize what your begetter did?" helium said. "He made my parent consciousness similar a cardinal dollars."

They ne'er fell retired of touch. Even aft shot was over, they went to events and parties and foundation functions together. They sat successful each other's kitchens. Once, Harris sent Villapiano, who loves to sing, up connected signifier astatine a Temptations performance and cheered arsenic helium sang "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch." Villapiano brought Harris retired to the Raiders' legendary tailgate, introduced him to the astir passionate Raiders fans and inducted him arsenic an honorary subordinate of the Black Hole.

The yearly telephone call, though, was the anchor. It didn't substance wherever they were oregon what they were doing. On Dec. 23, they talked. In the compartment telephone era, it was easier. Oftentimes Villapiano, who spends portion of the twelvemonth successful Arizona, would beryllium golfing erstwhile the telephone came, truthful "half the state nine would perceive in." But adjacent earlier that it was portion of their routine.

"He would telephone my mother's house," Villapiano said. "He would archer my parent to inquire maine what I'm doing astatine [that time] successful the afternoon. He would inquire my mother. My parent would say, 'Dear, Franco called again this year.' It was truthful comic however helium would bash that."

ON TUESDAY, FOUR days earlier Christmas, Phil Villapiano goes to furniture successful Arizona with his bags packed. He is leaving for Pittsburgh the adjacent morning. He is excited. A fewer hours later, helium wakes up with a start. Something feels off. It is 3 a.m., but helium gets retired of bed. He looks astatine his telephone and sees a substance from his daughter, Andrea, who lives successful New Jersey, asking him to telephone her arsenic soon arsenic helium can.

"Franco died," she tells him erstwhile they get connected the phone. There are reports each implicit the spot that Harris died successful his slumber at property 72. Villapiano rocks back. "He ... helium couldn't person -- I conscionable talked to him this day ..." He trails off.

"Dad, helium conscionable died," Andrea says.

Villapiano doesn't cognize what to think. He doesn't cognize what to do. He doesn't cognize what this means for this weekend, this solemnisation of Franco Harris and the play that brought them together.

Villapiano gets connected the level and flies to Pittsburgh anyway. He walks done the concourse. He stops astatine the statue and signs the book. He goes to his edifice and has a portion successful the bar, wherever helium hears everyone talking astir Franco Harris and what helium meant to the city. He talks astir his friend. He remembers.

As Villapiano goes to slumber connected Wednesday night, helium isn't definite what the play volition bring oregon however it volition marque him consciousness oregon what it volition beryllium similar to locomotion done this metropolis without his friend.

The lone happening helium knows with implicit certainty is what volition hap connected Friday, Dec. 23.

"Franco's son, Dok, doesn't cognize this, but I'm calling him then," Villapiano says, his dependable cracking. "I'm calling him due to the fact that I privation this to support going. I don't privation this to end."

ESPN Feature Producer Joshua Vorensky contributed to this report.