The third degree with … Franco Harris

Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris played 12 of his 13 NFL seasons for the Steelers and still looms large in Pittsburgh, where he owns Super Bakery Inc. He's active in the community and co-chairs a committee that guided the creation of the new Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, a 20,000-square-foot exhibit in Pittsburgh.

TSN: In 1990, you started Super Bakery Inc., a company that makes nutritional bakery products. So there is such a thing as a healthy doughnut?

FH: Ours are the first nutritional doughnuts--and we believe the best-tasting--on the market. They are made from a dough that includes protein, minerals and vitamins. There's no refined sugar or flour. ... And yes, it is a lot of fun to promote this oxymoron. I loved my time with the Steelers--it was an incredible era--and I feel like I'm living a dream again, doing something I love to do.

TSN: If someone visiting the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum is on a tight schedule, what's one display he or she shouldn't miss?

FH: (Laughing) Well, the shoes worn by the guy who made the Immaculate Reception are in there. Really, what makes it so great is how it covers just about every great achievement of Western Pennsylvania sports. We have Satchel Paige's baseball glove, a history and film of the Negro Leagues, Chip Ganassi's Indy-winning car ... There's so many great things.

TSN: Who's the quintessential Pittsburgh athlete?

FH: That's tough--I'm not sure I even want to say. Three people come to mind: Arnold Palmer, Roberto Clemente and Mario Lemieux. Am I leaving anyone out?

TSN: Well, perhaps someone from the Steelers.

FH: Pittsburgh came from steel mills and coal mines, and its teams were the working man's teams. We're the working-class athlete. We come to work every day. Nothing flashy, just tough football all the time. Even when the Steelers weren't winning, opponents knew going in they would be in for a tough, physical game.

TSN: When you think back on the Steelers' domination in the 1970s, does one game or play come to mind most often?

FH: When we beat Oakland in Oakland in the (1974 AFC) championship game, I went, "Wow, this is it." It made me realize we were the best team in football. It was an unbelievable feeling. The game with the Immaculate Reception (in 1972) would be second, not because of the reception but because it was our first playoff game.

TSN: It has been 25 years since Pittsburgh's last Super Bowl champion. Can this year's team give the Steelers their long-awaited one for the thumb?

FH: They're playing the best football in the NFL right now, but there's a long way to go. If they can play at this level going into the playoffs, I'd give them the edge. They've been playing with the big boys and beating them. They're not only squeaking by, they are being dominant. It's been a surprise. Before the season, there didn't seem to be much hope for this team. I think that's one of the reasons there's so much energy behind them now.

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