They can be trained to pick up keys, open doors. Rocky Bleier was born in Appleton on Tuesday, March 5, 1946 (Baby Boomers Generation). NaVOBA (National Owned Veterans Business Association). Bleier graduated from Xavier High School in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1964; while in high school, Bleier starred in football and basketball. While he was recovering in a hospital in Tokyo, doctors told him that he would not play football again. He adopted two children with his wife Jan Gyurina. Also, the war was never something that Bleier kept from others, as we hear with so many other veterans. "With the talent they have, how can they lose three out of their last four games, and in the manner they did?". RB VetCo. After his 1968 rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bleier was drafted into the U.S. Army in December 1968. Wounded by a hand grenade overseas, Bleier returns to the U.S., and told he will never walk again. Which Is More Stable Thiophene Or Pyridine. This article about a biographical film is a stub. Those who know him wouldn't expect any less tenacity from a modest athlete who ascended from special-teams contributor to Franco Harris' lead blocker to owner of a 1,000-yard season with Pittsburgh. Rocky was upset and he said, I dont want to be a scout! Lebanon for many years. I want to play in the NFL! And he ran down the hall, hollering at me like that. It came to that time of my life, Bleier said. How long was He sold his Super Bowl rings for $10,000 apiece to pay federal income taxes, but still owes $72,000 to the IRS and $8,750 in state income taxes. 2023 Caniry - All Rights Reserved While on patrol in Hiep Duc in August 1968, Bleier was shot in the left thigh by an enemy bullet. He first married Aleta Giacobine Whitaker whom he divorced in October 1996. This article related to an American TV movie is a stub. But his former wife has little sympathy. Who Is Rocky Bleier's Wife? According to Statista.com, the average NFL quarterbacks career is just 4.44 years. Rocky Bleier's story - a gripping tale of courage on both the football fields of America and the battle fields of Vietnam - has held audiences in rapt attention for years. He loved to be in the Super Bowl, he loved to be in championship games. The former Pittsburgh Steelers running back ROCKY BLEIER has pawned his Super Bowl rings and filed for bankruptcy. He wasn't the kind of guy to be . Marriage: Spouse: Rocky Bleier. Rocky is one of the owners and managing members of RBVetCo. Bleier said "As the first born of the family, my dad was proud, as all parents are." (7:26). SCOTT C. WISE is excited to be working on his first production at Pittsburgh Public Theater. There are 22 suicides by veterans a day. Has anyone ever sold their Super Bowl ring? When Bleier dies, he is bequeathing a ring to each of his four children. He was the son of an African American soldier who served in World War II and an Italian war bride mother. He always loved the way a locker room united, and he's been trying to draw people together ever since. I love you, Rocky. Copy to clipboard. RBVetCo is a service-disabled, veteran-owned company. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. His parents owned a bar called Belier's Bar and it was there that Bleier got his permanent nickname. I have known these guys since I came on the Steelers beat for the Pittsburgh Press 40 years ago. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. |. Messages of encouragement, hope, and impact. As of 2011, he lives in Mt. [1] Contents 1 Origin of nickname 2 Early years 3 Military service 3.1 Vietnam Most Popular #101323. Bleier, who served as a squad grenadier, also lost part of his right foot. The next show is in his hometown of Appleton, Wisc., in September. I wanted him to stay with me. Like anyone in their golden years with a lifetime of memories and boxes filled with mementos to show for it Rocky Bleier got tired of the clutter. Bleier spoke earlier in the day to students at an all school assembly. He also has two adopted children with his second wife, Jan Gyurina. The signature items in the collection are an autographed helmet worn by Bleier in Super Bowl XIII and an autographed jersey he wore the next season when the Steelers won Super Bowl XIV. Buy the Book Impact Topics Rocky's Journey This is one method that has proven to be able to not only reduce, but eliminate that rate.. The audiobook is now available for purchase on Care for a Cures website. I like everyone to like me, he has told me more than once through the years. You get to that point in your life, and I dont care who you are, with all the stuff collected and stashed over the years, you face the question of what are you going to do with it, Bleier said Tuesday. I talked to my kids and wife. Mostly, because he was too busy living his best life to ever wallow in it. They have two children. A nearby grenade sent shrapnel into his lower right leg. Born Robert Patrick Bleier on 5th March, 1946 in Appleton, Wisconsin, he is famous for 4 Super Bowl Champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV). There are some emotional ties.. His wife is Jan Gyurina (13 April 1996 - present) ( 2 children), Aleta Giacobine Whitaker (7 September 1975 - 2 October 1996) ( divorced) ( 2 children) Rocky Bleier Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. He didn't eat much on the day of his return, so low blood sugar coupled with the raw emotion from the site dropped his blood pressure and he briefly passed out. Greene sees the duality in Bleier, who was once so purple from head to toe after a game that teammates swore he wouldn't practice. He graduated from Fox Chapel Area High School in 1995, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Friday, graduated from there two years later. I told him he could be a general manager someday. Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier is a former National Football League halfback who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968 and from 1971 to 1980. FAX 412.343.7841. He tells the story of appearing at Heinz Field for pregame autographs when team president Art Rooney II approached him. He wanted to give him time to recover so he could play again. As a 5-foot-10 16th-round pick, Bleier was hardly a lock to be a factor in Pittsburgh's offense. With the sympathy and support of his wife Aleta (Bonnie Bedelia), Steelers owner Art Rooney (Art Carney), and coach Chuck Noll (Richard Herd), Rocky makes the team again, and helps them become Super Bowl champions.[1]. An offseason training regimen brought Bleier back to 212 pounds in the summer of 1974. That approach has guided Bleier in a life that always seems to work out. Steelers 1976. Former NFL running back who won four Super Bowls, IX, X, XIII, and XIV, with the Pittsburgh Steelers. You have to at least explore them.". I mean, they've ripped my heart out," Bleier said. Cite this record . An even better episode, especially for my generation, was the show when Rocky Bleier returned to the field in Vietnam where he was shot. He authored the autobiographical work, Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story. Bundchen first got her modeling start back in 1996 during New York Fashion Week. As a 16th round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968, he was a long shot to make the team. He shipped out to Vietnam after five months and served with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. There's Bleier's deep desire to contribute, and his desire to laugh about how he did it. Guest Speaker US Chamber. To schedule a booking with Rocky Bleier, please contact . His ex-wife, who now lives in San Diego, agreed to cut $300,000 from the debt, but no more; Bleier offered a flat payment of $250,000. Bradys longevity as an NFL quarterback is rare. Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier (born March 5, 1946) is a former National Football League halfback who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968 and from 1971 to 1980. The 73-year-old is wearing a tan Hawaiian shirt and black sunglasses, sipping wheat ale in a downtown Pittsburgh restaurant and generously chatting up random fans who approach him. The hard lessons Rocky Bleier learned early in his life that helped him overcome adversity and reach his goals, have paid off after football. He's supported veterans by spreading the word about non-profit programs such as Veterans Guardian Angels Inc., designed to aid post-traumatic transitioning. With the sympathy and support of his wife Aleta ( Bonnie Bedelia ), Steelers owner Art Rooney ( Art Carney ), and coach Chuck Noll ( Richard Herd ), Rocky makes the team again, and helps them become Super Bowl champions. When he's not at a speaking engagement or running his Pittsburgh-based construction company, he might be starring in his one-man play, "Rocky Bleier's The Play," which he calls an intimate portrait of his multifaceted life as Super Bowl champion, wounded warrior, family man and community activist. Bleier never had a passion bigger than football. Copy and paste this as text into your genealogy software or website "I wouldn't be me," Bleier said. More NFL coverage , "There's no one like him," said Hall of Famer Joe Greene, Bleier's teammate on the Steelers' famed 1970s teams. Sports Illustrated Covers 1975 1979 1975. Tokyo Hospital 1969. Ben Roethlisberger said then that Bleier was "obviously entitled" to his opinion. He maintains a busy schedule of motivational speaking, has business interests with Jans family and is involved in several fund-raising activities. It contains about 70 items that Bleier donated, spanning his days at Xavier High School in Appleton, Wisc., to his years at Notre Dame to his tour of Vietnam to his tenure as a four-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers in the 1970s. More media coverage, he figures. He was as wrong as the doctors who told Rocky hed be lucky enough to walk again, let alone play football. It specializes in the construction of commercial buildings, additions and renovations including planning, design, scheduling, value engineering and sub-contracting. First 20,000 copies will be autographed by Rocky Bleier! Jan Gyurina is the wife of Rocky Bleier. In addition to being a great lead blocker, Bleier was the second of the Steelers rushing weapons (Franco Harris was the primary back), but was effective nonetheless at both blocking and rushing. For further information on Rocky, you may contact us directly with any questions. Everyone seemed to recognize Rocky and offer a greeting, a handshake, a sentence that started with Sorry to bother you, Rocky, but For the record, no one bothered Rocky Bleier. It specializes in the construction of commercial buildings, additions and renovations including planning, design, scheduling, value engineering and sub-contracting. His rank was Specialist 4. Crossing Guard Supervisor awarded for going that extra mile. Bleier said it costs $25,000 to train a dog before it is placed into service. Yet Bleier's toughness and production earned a Steelers Hall of Honor nod, and despite countless collisions in the open field, he says he never suffered a concussion during his 11-year career. (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Eric Green (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Gabe Rivera (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Kordell Stewart (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Troy Polamalu (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Hardy Nickerson (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Barry Foster (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Alan Faneca (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Jack Lambert (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of RB Jerome Bettis (Complete Story). "He can always see the better part of any given situation. 1996: Relatives. Bleier played in the first four Steeler Super Bowl victories, and caught the touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw that gave Pittsburgh a lead it would never surrender in Super Bowl XIII. Save a few knee surgeries and wiry gray hair, Bleier moves and acts like a 50-year-old, telling stories with the pace of a dive play up the middle for a quick 10 yards. He caught an important touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw during Super Bowl XIII. Known as one of the leading football players with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Franco Harris was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey on March 7, 1950. When he did without complaint, "that set the tone for our football team," Greene said. They are trained to take care of emotional needs, nightmares, Bleier said. They are fine with it. For more than two years, he drove himself. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fighting_Back:_The_Rocky_Bleier_Story&oldid=1107018387, This page was last edited on 27 August 2022, at 18:03. Rocky Bleier of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during Super Bowl IX at Tulane Stadium on January 12, 1975. Based on Bleier's 1975 autobiography of the same name, it tells the story of how, after becoming a running back for the Steelers in 1968, he was then drafted by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. He authored the autobiographical work, Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story. He had just come back from Vietnam, and needed crutches and then a cane to get around.. I wanted to have some control over the memorabilia I had collected over the years. Bleier retired after the 1980 season with 3,865 rushing yards, 136 receptions for 1,294 yards, and 25 touchdowns. He has done a one-person show, The Play, about his engaging life story, at Heinz Hall and the OReilly Theatre. One of Rocky Bleier's biggest boosters is Art Rooney Jr., the second of five sons of Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. and his wife, Kathleen. When no settlement was reached, Bleier filed for. His odds worsened after being wounded in Vietnam, which required diligent rehab to both legs. "He said, 'I think we need to get you your own podcast,'" Bleier said with a smile. He went back to Vietnam this year to film a TV show about his experience that will be aired this fall.