Asked and Answered: Oct. 25

The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.

Let's get to it:

NATHAN GEISLER FROM BOISE, ID: With the Steelers and Saints playing an international Game in Paris, France, today, I was talking with my Dad (who was born and raised in Pittsburgh) about some legendary players from the 1970s. He was telling me about former Steelers legend John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Can you share any more info about Mr. Frenchy? My Dad was saying he was very fashionable during his playing days and on road trips. Along with that, he was the intended receiver on the Immaculate Reception.
ANSWER: I typically balk at what I believe is an over-use of the term legend to describe a former Steelers player, but I have to admit it applies here. John Fuqua came to the NFL as an 11th-round draft pick (273rd overall) of the New York Giants in the 1969 NFL Draft from Morgan State. After one season as a reserve halfback for the Giants during which he had 20 carries for 89 yards, Fuqua was traded to the Steelers on April 30, 1970. The Steelers acquired Fuqua and MLB Henry Davis in exchange for QB Dick Shiner, who had become expendable because Chuck Noll drafted Terry Hanratty in the second round in 1969 and Terry Bradshaw with the No. 1 overall pick in 1970.

In 7 seasons with the Steelers, Fuqua appeared in 87 games and started 51. He rushed for 2,942 yards on 699 carries (4.2 average) with 21 TDs, and he caught 132 passes for another 1,236 yards (9.4 average) with 3 more TDs. On Dec. 20, 1970, in the regular season finale against the Eagles in Philadelphia, Fuqua carried 20 times for 218 yards (10.9 average) and 2 TDs, to break the all-time single-game franchise record that had been held by John Henry Johnson, who rushed for 200 yards in Cleveland on Oct. 10, 1964. In getting his 218 yards, Fuqua had touchdown runs of 72 and 85 yards, both in the first half, but the Steelers still lost to the 2-11-1 Eagles, 30-20.

Always a flashy dresser who was fond of elaborate hats and capes, Fuqua nicknamed himself "The French Count" even though he was born in Detroit. One of the most attention-getting parts of his wardrobe was a pair of platform shoes with see-through heels that contained water and a live tropical fish selected from his aquarium to match the color of his particular outfit. A media favorite because he never learned the phrase "no comment," Fuqua also was one of the many Steelers of that era who had an unofficial fan club. There was "Franco's Italian Army," "Gerela's Gorillas," "Dobre Shunka," and "Frenchy's Foreign Legion" for Fuqua.

An unapologetic showman, in 2007 as part of the 35th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception Fuqua created a candy bar that he called "The Immaculate Confection."

• Download and listen to the Asked & Answered Podcast here: Apple Podcast | Spotify

BENSON MILDENHALL FROM KENNESAW, GA: Franco Harris, the man who made the Immaculate Reception, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Was he ever Offensive Player of the Year?
ANSWER: Franco Harris was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot as part of the Class of 1990. In 1972 he was voted Offensive Rookie of the Year; he was voted the MVP of Super Bowl IX; in 1976 he was voted the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and following his retirement he was voted a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-1970s Team.

GLENN JOHNSON FROM CARROLLTON, OH: Would the Steelers be open-minded about re-signing Najee Harris after the Giants released him recently?
ANSWER: I believe that ship has sailed. Current GM Omar Khan isn't the one who drafted him. Mike McCarthy isn't the coach who wanted him. It's a different offense with different coaches and a different focus.

MARIO ZINNA FROM PALM BAY, FL: Whatever happened to the trap-blocking running game the Steelers used throughout the 1970s and 1980s with Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier? It seemed to be pretty effective creating large holes to run through. Is the zone-type blocking that's used currently similar or different?
ANSWER: Trap-blocking is more about the offensive linemen blocking it than the backs running it. Smaller, mobile offensive linemen – as Chuck Noll was as a player for the Cleveland Browns in the 1950s – typically are the kinds of players who can be taught and be effective trap-blockers. Those are not the kind of offensive linemen who are currently coming through the college ranks and into the NFL, and I believe that is the primary reason trap-blocking is no longer as popular and common as it was 40-50 years ago. Zone-blocking requires the offensive linemen to block an area or zone of the field rather than a specific defensive player.

SETH DERLIUNAS FROM MECHANICSBURG, PA: Since the Steelers signed Lew Nichols to the 53-man roster due to exhausting the allowed elevations from the practice squad because of injuries, can the Steelers then re-sign Nichols to the practice squad once the injured players are healthy? How does that work?
ANSWER: Lew Nichols is currently on the 53-man roster. For the Steelers to get him back onto their practice squad, they would have to waive him, have him go unclaimed during the waiver period, and then he could be re-signed to their practice squad. Or if Nichols shows himself to be valuable as a reserve running back and becomes a core special teams player maybe he just stays on the 53-man roster.

WILL McINTOSH FROM BELLEVIEW, PA: With this week's game in Paris and not in the Unites States, who on the team staff talks to the players about how to adjust sleep patterns to prepare for the game? Also, is it better to be overseas early in the week so players' minds and bodies adjust to the time difference, or later in the week and almost treat it like normal preparation for a game?
ANSWER: The individual who communicates the information to the players doesn't necessarily have to be the person who gathers the information. But I imagine someone from the training staff or the medical team would be the person to recommend a strategy for sleep and hydration. As for the early vs. late arrival on site, Coach Mike McCarthy talked about his experience with International Games.

"Tokyo was a 138-degree heat index when we played in the early American Bowl, but it was a fun trip," said McCarthy. "It was preseason, so I think that definitely helped. We did it twice in (maybe) three years, the same trip. So, the first time we went for like a week and everybody got to enjoy the culture, Japan and Tokyo. The second one was earlier and a little quick. So I thought it was great for the team camaraderie and the group dynamic, really to do things away from football with your players and as a staff. But this is different. We're playing a game in Paris on a normal 7-day (regular season) week. So you have to be smart on when you travel, how you travel, what exactly you do when you get over there, the amount of sleep. You're trying to get extra sleep for the guys going into it. Obviously, hydration, all the basics and so forth. So, doing this trip on a 7-day schedule, I'll say it's different because I've never done it. I think it's all part of the challenge playing internationally."

BRIAN FIORENTINO FROM VIRGINIA BEACH, VA: You recently took a question from someone who brought up the "non-issue" of there being too many Steelers fans at away games. I remember being told that our away game fan base is more prominent than other teams' because the steel industry collapsed back in the 1980s, which in turn forced thousands of people to move throughout the country looking for work. Since fandom is usually hereditary, their children and grandchildren became Steelers fans, too. Not to mention, this happened right after the 1970s dynasty run. Is this true, or was I fed a myth?
ANSWER: Historians typically identify the collapse of the steel industry in the United States as happening between 1974-86, and so the migration of steelworkers out of the area in search of jobs is one of the contributing factors in the Steelers having a national following. But here's another factor. There were a generation of fans who grew to become NFL fans at the same time the Steelers were dominating the league by winning 4 Super Bowls over 6 seasons of the 1970s. That meant a lot of Steelers games were chosen by the networks to be televised either nationally or to large swaths of the country every Sunday. There are many, many rabid Steelers fans who never stepped foot in Pittsburgh and didn't have any relatives who ever lived in Western Pennsylvania either. It's similar to how I became a Boston Celtics fan as a boy who was becoming interested in basketball. Just about every Sunday's NBA Game of the Week throughout the 1960s featured the Celtics – either vs. the Cincinnati Royals, or the Philadelphia 76ers, or the Los Angeles Lakers. I watched those games and fell in love with the Celtics' style of play and how they were consistent winners. I believe something similar was happening with the Steelers and professional football in the 1970s.

ANDREA BARBIERI FROM PARI, ITALY: I noticed Mason Rudolph frequently interacting with Coach Mike McCarthy during games this season. Is my memory serving me badly, or this didn't happen the past few seasons with Coach Mike Tomlin?
ANSWER: Mason Rudolph frequently can be seen interacting with Coach Mike McCarthy on the sideline during games because McCarthy is the one calling the plays, and Rudolph is the backup quarterback who is always one play away from going into the game. Coach Mike Tomlin never was the guy calling the offensive plays.

DAN MURRAY FROM MOON TWP., PA: In reference to Bob Green's question about wearing the Guardian Caps, aren't they required during training camp? I thought I recall hearing that around the time they first came on the scene.
ANSWER: At one point, that was true. But it isn't anymore.

MARCK LEWIS FROM AMITY, OR: Not a question, just hope the fans in Paris enjoy the game and fans and players make it to their homes safely.
ANSWER: Isn't that pretty much the sentiment leading up to every NFL game played in any NFL city – that those in attendance enjoy the game and fans and players make it to their homes safely when it's over?

BRENT BRANCHAUD FROM CORONA, CA: I know New Orleans has the home team designation in Paris, but if the Steelers had that designation, would they be able to do Renegade during the fourth quarter and any other home team crowd treats? Love A&A, and thanks for keeping us long-distance fans informed and entertained.
ANSWER: The NFL runs all International Games, but it does make every realistic and fair effort to recreate the atmosphere at the designated home team's home stadium. I do believe that included playing Renegade in the fourth quarter of the game last season in Dublin.

ALEX FRISBEE SR. FROM IRVINE, CA: Why didn't we sign JuJu Smith-Schuster? We've got to have another wide receiver.
ANSWER: But what we don't have is time travel. JuJu Smith-Schuster was a reliable and consistent contributor to the Steelers passing game, a Pro Bowl player, but that was before Ben Roethlisberger injured his elbow and missed all but a game-and-a-half of the regular season. That regular season, by the way was in 2019. Seven years in the NFL is twice as long as the average player's career.

DAN MELCHIOR FROM SAN DIEGO, CA: I am fortunate enough to work for a university that has 40,000-plus students and has a few players make NFL rosters now and then. To all of these fans looking not only past the next game, but also looking past the season, can you gently remind them to live where their feet are, and as the youngsters say, "touch some grass?"
ANSWER: You just did.