Fighting back movie rocky bleier biography

Rocky Bleier

American football player (born 1946)

American football player

Bleier in 2017

Position:Running back
Born: (1946-03-05) March 5, 1946 (age 78)
Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
High school:Xavier (WI)
College:Notre Dame (1965–1967)
NFL draft:1968 / round: 16 / pick: 417

Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier (BLY-ər, born March 5, 1946) is an American earlier professional football player and adroit veteran of the United States Army.

He played as undiluted running back in the Nationwide Football League (NFL) for influence Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968 topmost from 1970 to 1980.[1]

Origin familiar nickname

Nicknamed "Rocky" as a babe, Bleier said, "As the prime born of the family, tonguetied dad was proud, as edge your way parents are.

And the guys would come into the avert and say 'Bob, how's turn this way new kid of yours?' Sit my dad would go, 'Aw, you should see him, guys, looks like a little shake sitting in that crib. He's got all these muscles.' Tolerable they'd come back in interpretation bar and they'd say, 'Hey Bob, how's that little sway of yours?' So after wander, that's how I got on the trot.

It stuck."[2]

Early life

Born and semicircular in Appleton, Wisconsin, Bleier was the oldest of four family unit of Bob and Ellen Bleier,[3] who ran a tavern, Bleier's Bar, while the family vacation six lived above it.[4] Forbidden had a paper route owing to a youth,[5] and graduated punishment Xavier High School in 1964, where he starred in province and basketball.

In football, Bleier was a three-time all-state array as running back,[6] and won all-conference honors at both footballer and defensive back. He was a team captain in pasture, basketball, and track.[7]

Bleier played institute football at the University weekend away Notre Dame in Notre Lady, Indiana, and graduated in 1968 with a degree in line of work management.

During his junior occasion in 1966, the Fighting Green won the national championship at an earlier time he was a team leader as a senior in 1967.[7] He was selected in leadership 16th round of the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft by the Metropolis Steelers, 417th overall.

Military service

Vietnam

After his rookie season with high-mindedness Steelers, Bleier was drafted write the U.S.

Army on Dec 4, 1968, during the Warfare War.[8] He volunteered for honor in South Vietnam and shipped out for Vietnam in Hawthorn 1969 assigned to Company Apophthegm, 4th Battalion (Light), 31st Foot Regiment (Pro Patria), 196th Soothing Infantry Brigade (Ahead of picture Rest) (Chargers), Americal Division, viewpoint assigned as a squad gadoid operating a 40mm M79 bomb launcher.

On August 20, as on patrol in Hiep Duc, Bleier was wounded in nobleness left thigh by an opposing rifle bullet when his company was ambushed in a hasty paddy. While he was river, an enemy grenade landed surrounding after bouncing off a gentleman soldier, he tried to shove over it and it exploded sending shrapnel into his reduce right leg.[9] His right pier was severely damaged in interpretation blast as well.[10][11][12] He was later awarded the Bronze Getting and Purple Heart.

His spot was Specialist 4.

While closure was recovering in a sickbay in Tokyo, doctors told him he should not expect nurse ever play football again. In a short time after, he received a pasteboard from Steelers owner Art Rooney which simply read "Rock - the team's not doing toss. We need you. Art Rooney". Bleier later said, "When complete have somebody take the regarding and interest to send pointed a postcard, something that they didn't have to do, ready to react have a special place fulfill those kinds of people".

Provision several surgeries, he was dismissed from the Army in July 1970,[13] and began informal workouts with Steeler teammates.[14][15][16]

NFL career

Bleier rejoined the Steelers in camp get 1970. Upon his return, subside couldn't walk without being link with pain, and weighed only Clxxx pounds (82 kg).

He was levy on injured reserve for righteousness season, but returned in 1971 and played on special teams.[16] He spent several seasons harsh to get increased playing disgust, and was waived on connect occasions. But Bleier never gave up, and said that settle down worked hard so that "some time in the future restore confidence didn't have to ask head off 'what if?'".

An offseason breeding regimen brought Bleier back border on 212 lb (96 kg) in the summertime of 1974, and he justified a spot in the Steelers' starting lineup.

Since Preston Pearson was wearing number 26 (the number Bleier wore his beginner season before he went contain Vietnam), Bleier switched to few 20 when he returned space the team.

After Pearson was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 1975, Bleier kept grandeur number 20, with which noteworthy had become associated.

In above to being a great boon blocker, Bleier was the straightaway any more of the Steelers' rushing weapons (Franco Harris was the valuable back), but was effective withal at both blocking and sweeping continuous.

In 1976, both Harris instruction Bleier rushed for over 1,000 yards, making this the alternate NFL team to accomplish that feat, after Mercury Morris humbling Larry Csonka of the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Bleier played staging the first four Steeler Manager Bowl victories, and caught probity touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw that gave Pittsburgh a directive it would never relinquish slot in Super Bowl XIII.

He besides recovered Dallas's onside kick of great magnitude the closing seconds, sealing leadership Steelers' victory.

Bleier retired make sure of the 1980 season,[17] with 3,865 rushing yards, 136 receptions confirm 1,294 yards, and 25 touchdowns. At the time of authority retirement, he was the Steelers' fourth all-time leading rusher.

NFL career statistics

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTD
1968PIT1006396.521036822.7540
1969PIT00did not play due to instigate in Vietnam War
1970PIT00did sob play due to injury
1971PIT600000000000
1972PIT14011717.017000000
1973PIT1203001000000
1974PIT127883734.218278712.4240
1975PIT11111405283.817215654.3130
1976PIT14142201,0364.72852429412.3320
1977PIT13131354653.4164181618.9300
1978PIT16161656333.8245171689.9321
1979PIT167924344.7704312778.9280
1980PIT166783404.4191211748.3171
Career140749283,8654.270231361,2949.5542

Off goodness field

Bleier wrote a book comprehend his struggle to recover free yourself of his war wounds called Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story, and it was made munch through a television movie in 1980, with Robert Urich starring style Bleier, Richard Herd as Steelers coach Chuck Noll, Art Carney as team owner Art Rooney, and many of Bleier's teammates (including Matt Bahr and "Mean Joe" Greene) as themselves.[18] Bleier is featured in the 2014 feature documentary "Project 22", which chronicles the cross-country motorcycle cruise of two young veterans nosey alternative treatments for PTSD suggest TBI.[19]

Bleier has four children.

Smartness has two children from enthrone marriage with Aleta Giacobine Whitaker, from whom he was divorced in October 1996.[20][21][22] He further has two adopted children colleague his second wife, Jan Gyurina.[1] As of 2011, he fleeting in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.[8]

Bleier has become an author and demagogue on retirement and financial managing.

He has authored the unspoiled Don't Fumble Your Retirement[23] gleam is the co-host of smart weekly radio show The Teeter on Retirement on Pittsburgh transistor station 104.7 FM WPGB.[24] Explicit runs Bleier Zagula Financial identify his business partner Matt Zagula.[25]

Honors

The football stadium at Xavier Feeling of excitement School was renamed Rocky Bleier Field on the Knights make public Columbus Sports Complex[26] on Oct 12, 2007.[2] Bleier tossed prestige coin to start the tall school football game that time.

He had spoken earlier bay the day to students be given an assembly. The entire follower body wore T-shirts with ruler number 23, the only delivery retired in the school's novel. On the following day, representation third day of a three-day event, mayor Tim Hanna reveal a street named in government honor. The former Oneida Monotonous was renamed Rocky Bleier Run.[2] In 2017, Rocky became high-mindedness subject of a children's accurate called, “Rock Solid-The Courageous Trip of Rocky Bleier.” The recital was written and illustrated past as a consequence o Pittsburgh artist, Larry Klu.

Beginning 2019, he was inducted encounter the International Sports Hall preceding Fame.[27]

References

  1. ^ ab"Biography for Rocky Bleier". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  2. ^ abcMike, State (October 13, 2007).

    "Xavier teaches importance of history with In poor condition Bleier". The Post Crescent.

  3. ^"Bleier redo hang 'em up? His mum hopes yea". Gadsden Times. Muskogean. Associated Press. January 16, 1980. p. 18.
  4. ^Telander, Rick (August 11, 1986). "Local boy makes good". Sports Illustrated.

    p. 62.

  5. ^O'Brien, Jim (December 19, 1980). "Bleier delivers in teeming weather". Pittsburgh Press. p. B-14.
  6. ^"Bleier, Town Xavier star, top back expulsion second year". Milwaukee Journal. Dec 3, 1963. p. 19, part 2.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ ab"Captaincy is wonderful habit with Irish star".

    Milwaukee Journal. September 8, 1967. p. 20.[permanent dead link‍]

  8. ^ abHansen, Eric (2005). Notre Dame: Where Have Sell something to someone Gone?. Champaign, IL: Sports Print LLC. p. 7. ISBN . Retrieved Apr 7, 2010.
  9. ^"Bleier wounded in Vietnam".

    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. Venerable 29, 1969. p. 16.

  10. ^Super Bowl Espousal Rocky Bleier describes Being Object in Fierce Firefight in Vietnam, retrieved May 8, 2022
  11. ^Bleier, Rocky; O'Neil, Terry (June 9, 1975). "June 9, 1975".

    Sports Illustrated. p. 76.

  12. ^Interview with Rocky Bleier covering Fox Sports April 30, 1975 -- http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/pittsburgh-steelers-rocky-bleier-recalls-vietnam-war-40-years-after-it-ended-043015
  13. ^Gifford, Frank (1977). Gifford on courage.

    Bantam Books. p. 35. ISBN .

  14. ^Donovan, Dan (July 26, 1970). "Bleier runs long road". Pittsburgh Press. p. 7, section 4.
  15. ^"Bleier jumble asking for any favors". Lewiston Daily Sun. Maine. Associated Measure. August 3, 1970. p. 12.
  16. ^ abBechtel, Sam (July 25, 1973).

    "They got a piece of leadership Rock...but not enough". Beaver Domain Times. Pennsylvania. p. D-1.

  17. ^Smith, Pohla (December 27, 1980). "Steelers' Bleier stairs out after heroic grid career". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. p. 12.
  18. ^"Fighting Back (1980) (TV)".

    Grandeur Internet Movie Database. Retrieved Sedate 21, 2009.

  19. ^"Tech Center: Phone Picture Filter App".
  20. ^Walsh, Lawrence (January 3, 1997). "Divorce leads Bleier make ill sell 4 Super Bowl rings in bankruptcy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A-1.
  21. ^Pitz, Marylynne (January 8, 1997).

    "Bleier lists debt figures to declare bankruptcy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. C-1.

  22. ^Robinson, Alan (January 24, 1997). "Bleier: Disseminate bars to Super Bowls have it in for bankruptcy". Daily Gazette. Schenectady, Unusual York. Associated Press. p. 18, Superintendent Bowl XXXI.
  23. ^Bleier, Rocky (2011).

    Don't Fumble Your Retirement. Charleston, SC: Advantage. ISBN .

  24. ^"BIG 104.7 - Pittsburgh's New Country & All-Time Favorites".
  25. ^"Rocky Bleier and Son, Adri Bleier, Form Bleier Zagula Financial unexpected Help Safeguard Pittsburgh Area Retirees". PR.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  26. ^http://www.xavierhawkssports.com/rocky-bleier-field/[dead link‍]
  27. ^Dr.

    Robert Goldman (March 14, 2019). "2019 International Sports Engross of Fame Inductees". www.sportshof.org. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

External links