‘I was born in Lackawanna, a scrappy industrial town 10 minutes south of the Queen City, where the steel dust fell from the sky like snow. Without a dad around, I was looking for a father figure. In my uncle’s car, we’d drive over to Henry’s Hamburgers, star tight end Ernie Warlick’s restaurant. Then I’d watch Warlick anchor the sports segments on the TV news. He was a standout beyond the field, a barrier breaker, a role model just like my never-swearing uncle.’