Forty-seven years later, questions still remain. Bitterness still floats around Raiders fans when the words "Immaculate Reception" are bandied about.
The 1972 divisional playoff game between the Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers ended in one of, if not the most famous play in NFL history. With the Raiders leading 7-6 with 22 seconds left, quarterback Terry Bradshaw scrambled to his right on fourth down and fired a strike toward running back John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Raiders safety Jack Tatum arrived at the ball at the same time as Fuqua and lit him up, believing he'd sealed the win.
But the ball ricocheted back and into the outstretched arms of Franco Harris, who took it the distance to give the Steelers the shocking win.
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But one question still remains: Did Fuqua touch the ball? Or did Tatum cause the ball to blast back? If it was Fuqua who touched it, then by NFL rules in 1972, the ball was dead and the game was over. If Tatum caused the ricochet, then the ball was live.
After the Steelers' improbable victory, Fuqua embraced owner Art Rooney, who had gotten on the elevator believing his team was going to lose the game and be eliminated. With reporters asking whether or not Fuqua touched the ball, the running back turned to the owner for advice.
"Mr. Rooney, should I tell them what happened?" Fuqua told NFL.com's Judy Battista. "There were reporters all around the locker room. He had a cigar in his mouth. ‘Frenchy, keep it to yourself.'
"The number of reporters asking did you touch it? I love publicity. If I answer it, what will be in the papers tomorrow? I said to myself we won the game and that's the most important thing."
"I'll never tell."
Fuqua has watched the play countless times to determine if he indeed touched the ball. He used to needle Tatum, who became a close friend of his about the play, saying it was Tatum and not him who sent the ball hurtling toward Harris.
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All these years later, Fuqua's lips are sealed.
"When things get tight and I wanted to tell someone, I thought of Mr. Rooney," Fuqua said. "When you've got a secret, you want to tell at least one person. Do you know what the burden is -- that nobody knows what happened but you? I was a decent player. The one thing I know in NFL history is that play and I'll never tell. That's my legacy. I will take it to the grave with me.
"I might leave a letter for 50 years after I am gone and I will be in heaven smiling."
Fuqua might be smiling, no member of Raider Nation will remember that moment with anything other than bitterness reserved for the likes of "The Tuck Rule Game" and the "Immaculate Reception."