First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself lately that you’d like people to know about?
Well, I’m as busy as ever even at my age and stage. I don’t see myself slowing down any time soon. The Super Bakery business has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams – it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve been able to share that success with a couple of Penn State buddies- Lydell Mitchell and Ron Rossi who does the marketing. I’ve been managing the Super Bakery business for over 30 years now.
I also have a little offshoot. Something I always wanted to do was to get into the hydration business. Don’t ask me why.
Well, it was a big thing as a football player right?
Ha yes. I’ve always been interested in being a leader in health and nutrition. I’ve studied that and hydration and knew one day I wanted to get into the hydration business. Well, I just put a formula together and it has really clicked. It’s one of the best formulas out there now and we’re building a brand around it. I thought about the name and we came up with LionAde. I then got to thinking – why not PittsburghAde. And others?
So we got the names for other cities, mascots and teams as well – keeping that local flavor under the larger brand of AdeNation. It’ll be coming soon – focusing on local pride.
And we’re also developing a protein powder too – Dr. Pete’s Protein Powder. I’m having a lot of fun with all of it.
So many guys struggle with the post-NFL adjustment. How did you manage it?
I really didn’t have any plans after the NFL. I didn’t know what to expect when I left football. I just told myself, “Franco, don’t just sit around. Do something.”
So I started a distribution company – Franco’s Au Natural. I wanted to carry all natural food products. I asked myself what I would want my kids to eat and what they would want. Quality was foremost in my head at the time.
This was in ’85 or so. I did what I had to do to make it work. I worked out of my car and delivered the products – driving two-to-three hours sometimes to deliver the food and for business appointments. This was before cellphones – I’d stop at gas stations to get directions. I’d unload products from trucks into the warehouse and delivered food to stores. I remember those days and what I had to do. Just like you learn the basics in sports. The stance, etc. I did that for the business and learned how to grow the business. It was sweat equity. Remember, back then we didn’t make enough money to live off what we made in football. All of us needed to do something else.
Some had plans and jobs lined up. But I knew I wanted to own my own business. I had limited funds though – there’s only so much you can do. I tell guys today, make sure you know the business, even if you buy your way to the top. You need to know the nuts and bolts.
Was the transition tough for you?
It was a rough transition. It’s a tough transition, and here’s a story why.
When I was delivering food, I had to drive an hour and carry two boxes of product into a store. That’s what you have to do, right? So I’m carrying the cases into the store and an older couple parks nearby and gets out of the car. I hear the woman say “Hey, is that Franco Harris?” Then the other said “No it couldn’t be. He wouldn’t be carrying boxes like that into a store.”
That made me think. Did they think I was a failure because I’m some guy carrying boxes? Do you think that’s beneath me? It made me realize the perception some people have, that when players jump from a great team, that there is some parallel to jumping into something great after they are done playing football. That definitely didn’t happen to a lot of the guys in the 70’s and 80’s. We didn’t make that kind of money.
A year later I was able to hire a warehouse guy. When the first truck came to the warehouse I went out like I usually did to unload the truck when he out his hand out and asked me what I was doing. What if someone saw me?
It hit me again – those perceptions people have of players.
I’ve heard of players without jobs who turned down jobs because they thought the jobs were beneath them. There’s a lot of pressure people put on ballplayers – those expectations that people place on players that if they don’t find that same success they are failures. Some guys get embarrassed to take jobs that don’t live up to those expectations.
The transition can be psychologically and mentally difficult because of that pressure. It wasn’t really until the 90’s when guys made enough money that it made it easier for them.
You are also involved a lot in charities. How much of that was influenced by the Steelers?
For me, what really opened me up and made me aware of that was the Chief. How he was involved in the community. Just how nice he was. They way he would help the community around him. You look for examples in life, and I looked at Mr. Rooney. I wanted to do more and he was supportive of that.
My first influence though was in my hometown of Mount Holly, New Jersey. The first time I had to think of that stuff really was when I was in fourth grade, and the teacher asked us all to bring in cans of food for those in need. I thought, “Wait…there are people poorer than us?” That shocked me. I didn’t know there were people in that much need before that.
My high school teacher, Mr. Thurston, he would have us pick up old newspapers and other trash we could turn in for money. We’d use that to give to organizations or for our own use- to fund our school dances and things like that. That also helped set a foundation for me.
Just to show how naive I was as a rookie. I told myself my first year in Pittsburgh I’d get involved in the community and soon there wouldn’t be any more need for help. As a 22 year-old I thought I would solve all of the problems. But there’s always need. You just keep going and help when and how you can.
As a rookie, did you have mentors that helped you learn the city and the ways of the team?
Not really. I was first just worried about making the team.
As a first round pick?
Even though I was a first round pick, and I had people tell me they wouldn’t cut me year one if for no other reason because they wouldn’t want to admit they made such a big mistake – but still, it was in the back of my mind. I still had struggles and challenges in the beginning. It didn’t really click at first – I had to find my way.
What didn’t click?
My preseason was decent, but I had everyone telling me the preseason was nothing like the regular season. I didn’t really believe that – I just thought “blah blah blah”. Well, the first game of the year, Pearson and Frenchy were hurt, so I had to play that first game. I was like a deer in headlights. A rookie, first game of the year, against the Raiders. The game was just at a whole different level of physicality and speed. It was violent – the Raiders were trash-talking, telling me “We’re going to kill you rookie!”
I didn’t have a good game. I later fumbled in the Cincinnati game – my first four games were just bad. Now I was in the doghouse. That’s when you really feel alone. We didn’t have many rookies on the team then either.
I just remember telling myself don’t give up – keep working and stay focused. What’s interesting – I told myself the next time I go in I’m never going to be taken out. That was my attitude then. The next game was the Houston game – and that was my first 100 yard game and first touchdown.
Dungy and others talked about watching your hustle in practice. What brought that out in you?
Paterno always said “Go to the ball.” In college I didn’t listen to all of it, but when I got to training camp those things started to enter my mind more. I wanted to find what other things I could do to make sure I made the team and got better. Hustling was a big part of it. I learned how to work out in the NFL too. Having a solid workout regimen – that helped me physically and mentally to stay focused and to get better,
Before my rookie year too, I always trained like it was the fourth quarter. When you’re tired but you still have to make a play. Those little things made a difference – that’s the attitude I went in with.
As for going to the ball in practice – two things. First, on pass plays as a fullback I wasn’t usually very involved – I’d maybe block or flare out. So when a pass was thrown I always ran to where the ball was going. I figured I’d maybe be able to make a block or recover a fumble. Those funny enough were the only two things to enter my mind. Like Joe said – that’s where the action was.
And maybe a tackle if there was an interception?
Good point yes! But Terry will tell you he never threw many of those!
A lot of people think the Immaculate Reception was the play that turned the franchise and city around. Your thoughts?
In 1972 I didn’t know it but for the 40 years prior the Steelers were one of the worst teams in the NFL – worst record and fewest points scored. When Noll got there, the first few years weren’t great either. So the expectations for the team weren’t very high. But then, can you believe it, we went 11-3. How incredible was that? The fans were insane. I asked myself why they were so crazy – it’s just because they weren’t used to winning. They had nothing to cheer for for 40 years.
That’s when Franco’s Italian Army started. It was a whole new level of fan participation. New clubs also formed for Gerela, Lambert, Ham…It was the start of Steelers Nation. It all started in 1972 with that great year. It was fun and exciting. I think what made it most important was that before then the Steelers were the sad sack team that always found a way to lose. The Raiders game was incredible. We were winning most of the game until that play by Stabler near the end of the game. It was a tough defensive game.
Mr. Rooney – once again in the pattern of the Steelers being that sad sack team – he left the box and went down after the Raiders scored to console us. Of all the people to miss that play…But he thought we were once again going to be a loser. But when he got to the locker room he was winner.
Do you think that play changed the way the team and fans saw themselves?
No doubt – we finally found a way to win. I tell Bradshaw that his first playoff touchdown ever was a doozy! He had some unbelievable touchdown passes in the playoffs but his first was the biggest play in NFL history.
I always say that the Immaculate Reception was the biggest play in Steelers history and beating the Raiders in the ’74 Championship game was the biggest game in Steelers history. The Immaculate Reception gave us the winning attitude we didn’t have before. The ’74 game – when we won that and went to the Super Bowl – we knew then that we were the best team in the NFL. The ’72 win was about attitude. the ’74 win was when we knew we were the best. I was nervous that entire game until the final whistle blew!
I also think our best season was the 1976 season. That showed what we were made of. Our backs were against the wall and everyone gave up on us. What we did those nine games was incredible. It showed the guts and character of the team. Once agains we lost to the Raiders – the Raiders and Steelers were intertwined the entire decade.
Ralph Berlin and others talked a lot about the poker games and Halloween parties at your house and how they helped build comradery on the team. How important were those types of gatherings for the team then?
The locker room is the key to the team. It doesn’t take much to disrupt it but it takes a lot to build cohesiveness. Having fun and sharing with one another – those little things you don’t talk about and don’t seem like much connect us in other ways.
I can’t even remember when we first started the poker games at my place. Joe Greene, Moon Mullins, Sam Davis, Ralph Berlin – those were the regulars. They were fun and easy gatherings – a place to take our guards down and call each other names. I won’t repeat what those were!
We played for fun – one dollar bets, two dollars for the last hand. Bradshaw and Swann would come by sometimes too – some others guys would come by once in a while.
One time I remember, we were betting and betting and Swann won the entire pot – he beat Joe Greene and was laughing and trash-talking Joe. So Joe went over to Lynn and picked him up and squeezed him until he actually fainted. Joe put him on the kitchen floor and and just said “OK guys, let’s play!”
There were so many good moments – we’d play on long plane trips too and on Saturdays before games. Just mind-off-pressure gatherings – good feeling, connecting gatherings.
Any other ways you guys connected?
The trainers and equipment guys- Ralph, Tony Parisi, Frank Shuley – they were special to us. Special guys. My mother the first time she met Tony – she told him in Italian – she didn’t ask, she commanded – “You take care of my son.” And he did.
Every Friday the offensive linemen would stay late to study film. Shuley would come in and help Parisi, and I remember getting him to make spaghetti and meatballs for them and it became a ritual. Every Friday they’d watch film and eat afterwards.
When Swann was a rookie every Tuesday we’d have the rookies bring in donuts. Stuff like that became part o the rituals too. I still enjoy seeing everyone – when we have a chance to get together. Every December we do to celebrate the Immaculate Reception. I hope we can do so this year.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
