Last week Napoleon Harris had an experience that rivals a blockbuster Hollywood crime drama. Harris, a Chicago native and current resident of Flossmoor, IL is a member of the Illinois Senate representing the 15th district since 2013. He’s also an owner of two Beggar’s Pizza franchises; a very popular chain exclusive to the Chicago south lands.
When closing up shop at his pizzeria in Harvey, Illinois one evening last week he delivered the final order himself. The late night pizza order was a scam and four men physically attacked Harris.
Napoleon Harris was a two sport star (basketball and football) at the local high school- Thornton Township. He then went on to Northwestern, the Wildcats in purple and white, just like Thornton.
Harris finished his career 11th all time on the school tackles list, and even played basketball in Evanston for a season. Napoleon put up a double-double, 18 points, 14 rebounds, in a 1997-98 win over Ohio State. In 2002, he was made the 23rd overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He would play in the NFL for seven seasons, with the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs, in addition to the Raiders.
Thus, the four men who jumped him a few nights ago made the wrong choice in who to target. Harris fought them off, tailed them, and helped lead the police to the suspects, who turned out to be wanted men in a Georgia murder case. That’s the short version. Go to this link to read the detailed version.
Napoleon Harris was thankfully okay, and he has yet to publicly comment on the jacking. It’s understandable given that a.) it was a traumatic experience and b.) there’s an ongoing legal process surrounding the incident.
However, we did converse with Northwestern Coach Pat Fitzgerald on this topic. Fitzgerald, also a former star NU football player, is close friends with Harris and coached him for one season. Fitzgerald was on the Northwestern staff in 2001, Harris’s senior year in Evanston.
“I was very happy to see that he was healthy and safe,” Fitzgerald said on the weekly B1G Coaches teleconference Tuesday.
“After the incident that happened a week ago, I think he was described as Hulk Hogan, in (the account) that was shared.”
“We’re all incredibly proud of him, not just of what he did as a player, becoming a first round draft pick, but also to be in state politics, a great community leader and be successful professionally with the pizzerias that he runs. He’s a terrific human being; he cares so much about others.”
Fitzgerald is also from the same area as Harris originally. Thornton competes in the Southwest Suburban Conference (formerly known as SICA, South InterConference Association) with Fitz’s alma mater Sandburg. The conference is also home to Amos Alonzo Stagg high school, the alma mater of this article’s author.
Fitzgerald said that he texted Harris right after he found out, but kept the details of his conversation with Harris private. The Coach did mentioned this however:
“It was very Napoleonesque, I will say that. He was very disappointed in what happened, but at the same time he made sure that the people who tried to rob him understood that messed with the wrong guy.”
That’s truly the moral of this Napoleon Harris story right there- these criminals really could not have picked a worse person to mess with.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.