Ex-Vikings linebacker fights off muggers, aids in murder arrests
Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Napoleon Harris has been retired from the NFL since 2008. But the 37-year-old doesn't seem to be missing football with his current occupations.
Harris has served an Illinois state senator since 2013; he is also the owner of two Beggars Pizza franchises in the state.
Earlier this month, Harris was working at one of his restaurants and told his delivery driver to go home, taking over the deliveries for the rest of the night.
So when a call came in for a delivery, Harris went to drop off the pizza.
The only problem: the address he received was a vacant house where four men waited, planning to rob a delivery driver.
https://twitter.com/VICESports/status/779096696760311809
Unfortunately the robbers were expecting a pushover and not a 6-foot-3, 250-pound former NFL linebacker.
“They put a chokehold on the senator, but to no avail," said Harris' spokesman Sean Howard. "They were really trying to choke him to death, and he was just too strong. He out-powered all four of them.”
Howard went on to say, “As they were all beating on him, one guy just went out of his way and really hit him hard, and Napoleon never moved. He just looked at him like Hulk Hogan."
Eventually the robbers obtained Harris' wallet and fled to their vehicle. Harris then called 911 and followed the four to a lumberyard where police found the abandoned vehicle – but not the suspects.
However, the Harvey Police Department did find blood inside the back of the vehicle, which was registered to a man who was reported missing in Fulton County, Georgia.
It turned out the man whose vehicle they had stolen was found dead in Georgia.
With the evidence in the truck and description of the attackers from Harris, the police knew who to look for.
Howard said two of the suspects were arrested in Georgia after they took a Megabus from the Chicago area.
A third man was also arrested after he checked himself into a mental institution, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The fourth suspect has not yet been charged.
