Jack Fleming dead at 76

Jack Fleming, who was happiest when West Virginia beat Pitt but who will always be remembered by Pittsburgh fans for his animated broadcast of the 'Immaculate Reception,' died Wednesday.

Family members found Fleming, longtime play-by-play announcer for the Mountaineers and the Steelers, slumped over in a chair in his Mt. Lebanon home about 7 p.m., a spokesman for the Allegheny County Coroner's Office said.

Fleming, 76, whose real name was Leo W. Fleming, had a history of health problems and died of natural causes, the spokesman said.

'I can think of no more loyal Mountaineer than Jack Fleming,' said Woody O'Hara, who worked as color analyst on WVU football and basketball broadcasts for 30 years.

'He had gold-and-blue blood. He cherished the rivalry between West Virginia and Pitt and took particular delight in those times we beat Pitt,' O'Hara said.

'People all across West Virginia grew up listening to Jack,' agreed longtime Steelers color analyst Myron Cope.

'There was nobody bigger in sports down there than Jack Fleming,' Cope said.

Fleming is most famous for his call in the 1972 NFL playoff game between the Steelers and the Oakland Raiders when Pittsburgh's Franco Harris made a miraculous touchdown catch in the waning moments to win the game.

It has been described by NFL Films as the most replayed event in pro football history.

'Hold onto your hats, here come the Steelers out of the huddle,' Fleming said.

'It's down to one big play, fourth down and 10 yards to go. (Terry) Bradshaw's running out of the pocket, looking for somebody to throw to ... He fires it downfield and there's a collision! It's caught out of the air!

'The ball is pulled in by Franco Harris! Harris is going for a touchdown for Pittsburgh! I don't even know where he came from!'

Fleming began his play-by-play career with the Mountaineers in 1947 and continued until about two years ago when he was forced into semi-retirement by health problems, O'Hara said.

'I came here in 1980, and he was literally 'Mr. Mountaineer.' He was just something so special. He's really going to be missed,' said Don Nehlen, who retired as West Virginia's football coach last week.

Fleming began his Steelers career in 1957 and retired after the 1993 season.

'I truly believe he was put here to broadcast football and basketball,' former Steelers publicist Joe Gordon once said.

Cope remembers that when he began as the Steelers color analyst in 1970, his background was in print journalism and he knew little about radio announcing.

'I was a rank amateur foisted upon Fleming, who was the consummate pro, and it had to be very painful for him at times for quite a few years,' Cope said.

'I would talk over him at times. In radio, if two people are talking at once, it's all garble to the listener,' Cope said.

Once, when Steeler Frenchy Fuqua was running for a long touchdown, and Fleming was describing the action, Cope remembers breaking in, screaming, 'Frenchy, quit lookin' behind ya! Quit lookin' behind ya!'

'Although he took it in stride, from time to time he turned purple and would start to sputter, having to leave the (announcer's) booth to get control of himself,' Cope said.

'I used to drive him nuts from time to time, but he was just an easygoing guy, an easy rider,' Cope said.

'He was always a class act and an honest person. He called a good football game and was a nice person to be around, too,' said longtime Pittsburgh television and radio announcer Bill Cardille.

Fleming also was a great practical joker, O'Hara said.

'We went to Penn State one year, and early on game day, he had this uniformed gentleman knock on my hotel room door,' O'Hara said.

'This fellow said he was a police officer, and that he was going to arrest me because I was seen taking team lunches from the bus.

'I was arguing with the guy, and then I poked my head out the door and looked up the hallway to see Jack just bent over in laughter. It was just the bus driver posing as a policeman,' O'Hara said.

Fleming did play-by-play for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls in the 1970s and also announced the 1960 Rome Olympics, numerous college football bowl games and NCAA Final Four basketball games.

He is survived by his second wife, Shaun, and five daughters, O'Hara said.

Funeral arrangements, which are incomplete, will be handled by Laughlin Memorial Chapel Inc., 222 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.