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For nearly two decades, Franco Harris' iconic statue has been a staple of Pittsburgh International Airport. Now, following Harris' death this past December, more people will get an opportunity to see the statue while celebrating one of the best players in Steelers history and arguably the greatest play in NFL history. 

Due to an abundance of requests, airport officials have moved the statue (along with statues honoring George Washington and Nellie Bly) to the landside terminal. The move allows people the chance to see Harris' statue, which was previously located at the airport's airside terminal, without needing to purchase a plane ticket. 

"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," said airport arts and culture manager Keny Marshall, via The (Beaver County) Times. "He represents so many of the best parts of Pittsburgh, and now his statue is doing that in a much more prominent position."

The statue depicts Harris reaching out and catching Terry Bradshaw's pass during a play that has been known in history as the Immaculate Reception. Harris' catch and score, which occurred on a 4th-and-10 play in the final seconds of the 1972 divisional playoffs, gave the Steelers their first ever playoff win (a 13-7 victory over the Raiders) while being the unofficial start of Pittsburgh's dynasty. 

Harris, who is revered in Pittsburgh from what he did both as a player as well as an active community member, went onto enjoy a Hall of Fame career while playing an integral role in each of the Steelers' four Super Bowl wins during the 1970s. Still the franchise's career rushing leader, Harris died just days before the Steelers retired his No. 32 jersey at halftime of Pittsburgh's win over the Raiders this past Christmas Eve. Harris' wife and son accepted the honor on his behalf. 

Steelers players and coaches honored Harris by wearing his jersey prior to their win over Las Vegas. 

During his final recorded interview, Harris told Steelers' defensive lineman Cam Heyward that his statue was only supposed to be a temporary display at the airport. 

"They talked to me about putting the statue up, and they wanted one iconic play, so they decided on the Immaculate Reception," Harris said. "They told me, 'Well, I guess it will probably be there for 6-9 months.' I said, 'Oh, OK, that's fine.' Now, (it's still there) like 18 years later or something like that.

"It's a lot of fun having that (statue). It's a good thing that people want to take pictures. A lot of times when I'm going by, I snap pictures with people. Those are some good memories. Life's all about memories and connections."