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What do Homer Simpson and Franco Harris have in common? They both dream about a Super Donut, though their definitions of such a thing probably differ ...

Franco Harris will likely be best remembered for a trailblazing career in football, having rushed for 1,000-plus yards for eight seasons in a row and helping the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowls in the 1970s.

But while stellar athletic accomplishment practically guarantees fond remembrance amid future generations, the way to a man's heart is still through the stomach. That's why Harris, founder of Super Bakery, has dedicated the second half of his life to building the perfect donut, one with enough vitamins and minerals to counter the calories. Don't laugh – the creation and marketing of the Super Donut was sixteen years in the making. That's four years more than Harris's NFL career.

"If someone had told me, back when I was playing, that one day I'd be working with donuts, I would've said, ‘No way, you're crazy," Harris, 57, said. "But I feel like I'm living a dream now, since we've been working toward this since starting the company in 1990. There's a feeling of, ‘Finally, after all these years.'"

Harris attributes his new dream to an awakening that occurred a few years after retiring from football.

"The thing about professional sports, especially football, is that it can take such a toll on your body," he said. "I started feeling these ailments creeping up on me, chronic problems like inflammation, so I decided I needed to make some lifestyle changes. I changed the kinds of things I eat, and in about two years I could really see and feel the positive effect on my body."

Initially rolled out to school systems and hospital wards, Super Bakery's Super Donuts and Super Buns are made with something called NutriDough, a bakery fortifier that includes vitamins A, B, C and E, folic acid, calcium and various proteins. Developed with research assistance from Penn State staff (Harris graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in Foodservice and Administration, incidentally) Nutridough lacks the usual suspect ingredients like artificial flavors, artificial colors, preservatives and trans fats.

Yes, the calorie count of a Super Donut is on a par with a Krispy Kreme donut, but Harris is careful to stress moderation.

"Just enjoy one, a couple of times per week, and you'll get a lot of the valuable nutrients that you need," Harris said. "Don't eat the whole box and then blame the donuts."

In celebration of their availability in supermarket retail chains (they will be available in stores' frozen food sections), Harris pulled from his long list of Pennsylvania-based athletic contacts to promote his Super Donuts and Super Buns. Look for the faces of Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and Penn State football coach Joe Paterno on the boxes of six.

"We call that our Super MVP Program, MVP standing for Most Valuable Person," Harris said. "The message we're trying to send here is that character and leadership off the field is just as important as on the field. You've got to have variety, in anything that you do."