Napoleon Harris.

• Author: Weiss, Suzanne

Napoleon Harris cherishes his role as the legislative voice of Chicago's 9th Ward and the demographically diverse string of small cities and townships to the southwest, in which he has deep roots.

"This south-suburban area is a hidden gem that a guy like myself, with help from others, can turn around," he says. Elected without opposition to his third term in the Illinois Senate in 2018, Harris says he continues to focus on "enacting legislation that helps communities grow, change and get stronger."

Harris, 39, grew up in the hardscrabble towns of Dixmoor and Harvey--both are just south of Chicago--where his mother, a hair stylist, struggled to make ends meet after his father died. An honor student and standout athlete in high school, Harris had scholarship offers from all over the country but chose Northwestern University for its highly rated communications program--plus its proximity to his family.

Following his senior year in 2002, Harris was a first-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders and went on to play seven seasons at linebacker for the Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Throughout his playing career he always found time to return to Harvey--working out at his old high school, spending time with neighborhood kids and opening a pair of Beggars Pizza restaurants, along with a summer job-training program.

After Harris retired from professional football in 2009, he and his wife, Nicole, a nurse, decided to put down roots in his hometown.

Harris says that, growing up, he found a strong role model in Harold Washington, who in 1983 was the first African American to be elected mayor of Chicago. "He was commanding, intelligent, illuminating--a man of real quality who did so much for people," Harris says. "I looked at him and thought, if he can do it, so can I."

In 2012, Harris, a Democrat, was elected to an open seat in the Illinois Senate. Among the first bills he successfully sponsored was one providing new protections for high school athletes, including concussion protocols...