Franco Harris says he was "in the right place at the right time" in exclusive audio immediately following The Immaculate Reception

Maybe things throughout history are connected.

Steelers running back Franco Harris said immediately following the Immaculate Reception he wasn't even supposed to be down field on the play he caught a deflected pass intended for Steelers RB Frenchy Fuqua and ran it in for a game-winning touchdown.

In his words, he was in the right place at the right time.

Franco Harris post Immaculate Reception interview

So was radio news reporter Mike Silverstein (known on Behind The Steel Curtain as Homer J.), who kept the audio recording of his interview with Harris immediately following the play.

In the audio recording (held exclusively by Behind The Steel Curtain), Silverstein's golden voice has the same tones of joyous shock of the 10s of thousands of Steelers fans at Three Rivers Stadium on Dec. 23, 1972.

News can be so dramatic even the most seasoned reporters react with the same emotions the moment naturally creates. Al Michaels' famous "Do you believe in miracles??" is perhaps the most famous American sports soundbyte ever recorded. Silverstein has that same sound of incredulous but thrilled sound to his voice, but still manages to ask three excellent questions.

Silverstein: "You think that was the luckiest play you ever had?"

Harris: "Yeah, I think it is. It was damn lucky."

Silverstein: "Were you supposed to be out there on that play or did you just go out there-"

Harris: "No, I wasn't supposed to be out there at all."

Silverstein: "What happened?"

Harris: "I just went on out there. I thought Terry (Bradshaw) was being trapped, I went out there and maybe he'd throw it to me. But he threw it out there and I was still- right place, right time."

Silverstein told BTSC this recording has not been heard in 40 years, and it will be a part of NFL Network's "A Football Life: The Immaculate Reception" airing at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday in wake of the 40th anniversary of the play.

Silverstein will be in attendance at a ceremony at 4:15 p.m. ET Saturday commemorating a plaque that will be placed on the spot of Harris's catch. He will speak as part of panel discussion on the event as a living witness to what happened that day - the day the Steelers laid the groundwork for what would be one of the strongest dynasties in sports history.

He was also in the right place at the right time.

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