Memorabilia
Franco Harris Autographed Football
- Item Number
- 132
- Estimated Value
- Priceless
- Sold
- 230 USD to cb891f6a5
- Number of Bids
- 20 - Bid History
Item Description
Franco Harris was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey. His African-American father served in World War II; his mother was a "war bride" from Italy. Harris graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey in 1968.
At Penn State, Harris served primarily as a blocker for the All-American running back Lydell Mitchell, though he amassed 2,002 yards rushing with 24 touchdowns and averaged over 5 yards per carry, while also catching 28 passes for 352 yards and another touchdown. He led the team in scoring in 1970.
Harris was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft. He played his first 12 years in the NFL with the Steelers; his 13th and final year was spent with the Seahawks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
On January 12, 1975 he was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX; in that game he rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries for a 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Harris was the first African American as well as the first Italian-American to be named Super Bowl MVP.
Harris and Lydell Mitchell own Super Bakery, a company founded in 1990 to produce nutrition-oriented foods for schoolchildren. The business was renamed to RSuper Foods in 2006. RSuper foods produces the Super Donut that has been served to students at public schools in the eastern United States.
Harris and Mitchell also partnered in 1996 to rescue the Parks Sausage Company in Baltimore, the first African-American owned business to go public in the U.S.
Still committed to Penn State, Franco has served as part of the advisory board at Penn State's Center for Food Innovation, and in the Fall of 2009 was named a Conti Professor by Penn State's School of Hospitality Management.
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