Rocky Bleier - Four Super Bowls, Vietnam and a Fighting Spirit

Intro:

Welcome to Beyond Speaking with Brian Lord, a podcast featuring deeper conversations with the world's top speakers.

Brian Lord:

Hi, I'm Brian Lord, president of Premiere Speakers Bureau. And your host of the Beyond Speaking Podcast. Our guest today is Rocky Bleier. Rocky is a national champion in college football with Notre Dame. He's a four time Super Bowl champion. He's an army veteran and also just has this amazing story of fighting back when we were looking at speakers that we wanted to have, you know, we're coming up on the Super Bowl. So four times Super Bowl champion. Great for that. We're coming up into 21 and if there was ever a year for fighting back, 2021 is it so Rocky is a great speaker for that. And then finally, you know, Rocky was the first speaker that I ever booked at Premiere in January of 2000 21 years ago. I booked Rocky for my very first event here at Premiere. So Rocky, thank you so much for joining us here on the Beyond Speaking Podcast.

Rocky Bleier:

Thank you.

Brian Lord:

So so Rocky we're recording this year just days before the Super Bowl. We've got an epic matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs defending Super Bowl champion and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Tom Brady at the quarterback position. So Rocky to put you on the spot right off the bat, who are you picking to win this Super Bowl?

Rocky Bleier:

Well, I, I tell you what, and I'm probably picking it from my heart. But I also think that they have a great chance I'm picking Tampa Bay. And, and the reason that I'm making Tampa Bay is just to see their progress throughout the season, how they started and losing games early, then all of a sudden chilling together and having this great momentum as a went into the playoffs, going for them. And their fan base is exciting. The fact is that they have Tom Brady, which is a big factor there from a leadership point of view, from an experience point of view. And then having watching that team buy into one another and, and carry that moment now, as we will know, it's a, he who makes the least amount of mistakes in will eventually win that game. But I think that the way they've played in, in, in the playoffs and in the championship game, they will continue into the Super Bowl and we'll be a tight game, but I think that they'll come out on top.

Brian Lord:

So we know we're right now, we're in 2021, which is, you know, coming off 2020, which is one of the more unique years that we've ever had. And, you know, your story of fighting back, you know, playing a Notre Dame, being a national champion with an amazing team, I think he only gave up something like 20, 30 points all season, which is, which is amazing. And then being drafted into the military, you know, going to Vietnam. Can you walk us through I know that's a longer story, but maybe just some of, some of the points of that story, and then you know, what, what that changed in your life?

Rocky Bleier:

Well, obviously, as you were telling the story, you know, when I was first, you know, I was very happy to be able to be drafted in the NFL. And so I was a highly toted to 16th round draft choice doesn't even exist anymore. And so I was a 417th person picked playing in the draft, but I think because of the coaching that I received at Notre Dame and, and the fundamentals that were taught got me into the NFL. And I was one of four rookies to make the team that year. And so was 1968 height of the war that was taking place. And, you know, basically, I just fell through the cracks and I got my one, a classification during that season, after 10 games, and I got drafted into the army and boom, you're gone and ended up in Vietnam as the story goes, then that wounded twice. And the prognosis was that not being able to come back and play again, because the injuries that had taken place well, it's kind of a mindset. And I suppose the mindset becomes more important, no matter what you do and how we give and get through this pandemic and what our future is. And I, and overcoming obstacles and the mindset was, you know, I didn't lose a, a limb damaged, but you know, when you play sports, you get hurt. You know, you got poles, you got you might have terrors here or there and you get sore, but you learn that in time, they heal. And ultimately you go back and play. So in the backyard, in the neighborhood in organized sports in college, you know, that was kind of the myth. So as I thought about my, my opportunity and that's what it was and the Steelers were kind enough to allow me to come back. And, you know, they bought me a couple of years to put me in injured reserve. I made the taxi squad for whatever reason they saw, they gave me that chance to do something with that opportunity. And I was able to get myself back into shape and finally be able to make the team playing special teams. In 1972, then all of a sudden 72, you know, things kind of strange Franco Harris comes in and becomes a rookie of the year. As running back, we go to the playoffs and we have the one play that changes, of course, correction, immaculate reception, past last seconds of the game to be able to score them with the game. So all of a sudden we can get on a track, but I think the biggest thing is that you know, you don't give up, hopefully you got a focus and you get goals in what you want to achieve. I think in my mind basically is that, you know, a lot of us were at times, we, you, you say, what if, what if, what if I would have done that? What if I worked out more, what if, and we question our own ability and you get to a point where you're, hopefully you go, you know I don't want to be able to ask myself what if down the line if I didn't make the team, you know like I should've done this, I should've done that. So I'm kind of in your race as best you possibly can, all those, what else. And then wherever, wherever that takes you, at least you're not living in the past and, and make excuses, but you go, okay, fine. It didn't work out. My life goes in a different direction and hopefully, I can set another goal and path to be able to, well, we get a chance to do, to make the team, we have a chance to play. And then because of an injury here, there, you know, how the game goes. And all of a sudden I'm making 74, I'm in the starting backfield with Franco. And we go to the Super Bowl for the first time. And then we played four years together when we went for more Bowls. And I get a nice career after 11 years in playing in the NFL.

Brian Lord:

What was your most memorable Super Bowl moment?

Rocky Bleier:

Well, probably my most memorable was Super Bowl 13, my Super Bowl 13. So we were in the Super Bowl or playing Dallas Cowboys for the second time. And right before the half, and we had the ball and we're on the seven yard line. It was third and one or a first down, keep the momentum going. And the play was just a quick pass play to the halfback of myself, where I go right down the line of scrimmage, Bradshaw throw to me, you know, like catch it, fall over the line to pick up the first down or pick up whatever you already checked. Good. And so the ball was snapped and I broke out on my stance and my opponent jumped across and took my path. I couldn't get down the line of scrimmage. So I cut it short and just all of a sudden fall myself up up field and Bradshaw had a response. I wasn't down the line of scrubbing, so we start to scramble and then he throws the ball at the last minute to me in the end zone. And I see it coming in and I had a leap. I mean, I had a leap. I didn't think it was my thought at that moment in time was I could get my fingers on it. If I could just push it down, you know, it might fall into my hands. I throw my hands up in funk right there. I come down. And as I tell people, I don't know how high I jumped 18, 19, 20 feet. I forget that after all these years, it was pretty high. But anyways, so that gave us, that gave us a lead that gave us that gave us a lead and a lead. Ultimately, as we say that we'd never relinquished thereafter. But that was probably, you know, and it made the conference, which is always better. But here's the interesting thing is that I had a chance to go back and take a look at because after years, you know, you said, well, what kind of game did I have? Okay. So I had one, what kind of game, you know, you don't think about it. How many times did you carry the ball and so on? So I went back and look at the statistics was that I carried the ball twice for two yards. I caught one pass and recovered one on sidekick, but I made the cover of sports illustrated because of that one pass. So it's only all it has to take is just one, one big play to be able to make a difference within a team.

Brian Lord:

So do you have any good stories? Like I love a little behind the scenes Super Bowl story, so that's an amazing one that everybody has seen, but, or a whole lot of people have, have seen what's maybe some of the behind the scenes stories from the Super Bowl or leading up to it that you could share.

Rocky Bleier:

Oh, well, one of, one of them is this. This is, and we're going back to the first time we're playing the Dallas Cowboys. And so this was in 75 of the 75 seasons and playing down in Miami in the game. So it was towards the end of the game we had we had had lead. It was in the fourth quarter. Maybe we had two minutes left in the, in, in, in the quarter. Bradshaw had just throw a touchdown to Lynn Swann did give us the, to give us a lead. And in that course, he got knocked out of the game. We got hit by the linebacker. Okay. And so Terry hand ready was our backup quarterback. So all of a sudden, you know we score, we kick off to them. They drive the ball down and they score, they kickoff to us. We got the ball. Now, the clock's ticking down. We still have a lead. Here's the situation. It's fourth down. We got the ball on 40 yard line. It's fourth down. Seven yards to go, well, you're thinking, okay, fine. Let's just pump the ball, get it down deep. Let the defense take over from there and be able to stop, you know, stop the opponent. All of a sudden, there's a timeout at the sidelines all the time out. What's going on, timeout, leave the offense on the field. I'm thinking we kind of pumped the ball. Well, if you're not going to pump the ball, they ain't going to throw the ball downfield. And if they intercept it, it's like a punt, you know? And but we're going to eat it for some time. We're going to run the ball, got to give it the Franco. I mean, because that's what he does. And and so Terry Henry runs off to the sidelines, comes back. Yeah. And so I'm, I go, okay. What's, what's the play? What's, what's the bar. What's the play? It doesn't tell me it's in the huddle. He goes, all right. Four wide split. That's the formation 84 trap on two, I'm going 84, 84 trap, 80. That's a strong side trap, or I'm carrying the ball and the ball seven yards gone. And as we break the huddle, he said, run out as much time as you can. And I'm going, I'm not a run-out guy, run out a guy. I'm a negative beat guy, just I'm going to need to be. And I, this is the worst play that's ever called in the history of the Super Bowl at this time in this location. And the reason that Chuck wanted to run the ball was that they had blocked one of her punts earlier in, he just didn't want to give them that position to do so. And the ball was snapped. Handwriting spins around, gives me the ball, boom, two yards, and we give it back to him. And it was like two seconds off the clock. I didn't run anything off. The clock was late. The clock had stopped and started again. And I thought that was the worst call in the history of the Super Bowl that plays specifically for two, they get the ball and they start moving it and they get the ball back and they move it and they move it down the field and move it down the, to throw into the end zone, throw to the end zone. We intercepted in the end zone to win the game. But I felt really bad on the sidelines thinking then I lost this game because I couldn't pick up the seven yards that were needed to, but in my mind, I still think that was a bad choice.

Brian Lord:

Oh, goodness, goodness. So you know, one of the things too just getting back to the bigger picture, you know, a lot of right now are going through some difficult times. And part of that, I think in your story too, is going back and facing those difficult times. So not long ago, ESPN did a really big story with you of going back to Vietnam, going back to the place where this terrible thing happened to you. Can you walk us through maybe one how that came about and then just, just what happened while you were there?

Rocky Bleier:

Yeah, it did actually that whole process. And I forgot about a day. It was like a tenure process before we went back and we're going to do, we're going to go and do it for the 40th anniversary. And so then all of a sudden the schedules got screwed was put on the shelf and then w anyway, they came back and they said, well, we'd like to go back to Vietnam. Would you like to go back to Vietnam? And I'm thinking, yeah. You know, yeah, I would be fine. And I think that you have to put it in the perspective of this is that I really didn't need it to go back to Vietnam. It was the big thing that I, you know, have the heal or, or, or get back in touch. I don't like him. So let's just put this in perspective, unlike the majority of returning of Vietnam veterans during that period of time in the latter part of the sixties in this was that because of the feeling about the American population about that war, that the soldier was identified with the conflict. And so he was looking down upon, unlike today, where we think are, are, are, are soldiers for their service. The Vietnam veteran pond wasn't accepted. There was no place for him to go, to be able to talk about their experiences and squat. And VFW didn't really embrace them. American Legion didn't embrace that, that federal. And so they had to repress their feelings, go about their lives and and adapt as best I, on the other hand, only because I came back to play this game of football, became a story. So I became a story. And so I had to talk about my feelings. How do you feel, how does it, you know, how do you relate what, what's the correlation between football and being in the NSF? So I had to come up with the answers. And so I talked about it and I talked about it and I talked about it for 40 years. I continued to talk about it. Then in that regard, there was a big for me because I got it out and, you know, and, and going back, I said, I don't know what to expect, really, in all honesty, it only because I've talked about it all these many years, and I come to a pretty good conclusion about my feelings and so on. I I didn't have any really traumatic experiences atrocities that took place, although were in firefights and we're under pressure, but so we go back and and so we were out in the field and we finally found the, the exact spot where the, the firefight had taken place and where I got hip to. And so how Marinol Davey asked me the question is how do you feel? And out of the blue, honest to God, blind out of the blue, out of left field, all of a sudden this emotion came back to me that I thought would be buried or not necessarily. I mean, from the, from the soles of my feet, came up through my body, emotional setback and all of a sudden I become, I started crying and I couldn't understand why it, Oh, one, I just really got sick. I mean, so to the point where just my internal intestines needed to flow out of me. And and so ultimately I went and went back and sat down and I passed out. And so came to wasn't long. It, you know, the whole crew was like, Oh my God, what happened to this guy? Wasn't protecting, yeah, I know he's old, but jeez. But it gave, so it gave me a sense. It just gave me a sense of trauma of that can be experienced by, by humanity or by soldiers in stressful times that I can understand mental health problems because of that kind of trauma. I mean, this was years later that I felt that that sadness and that have taken place and you know, people feel it at different times and soldiers feel like different times. And so we, they kind of gave me personally that insight of post-traumatic stress and how it affects us, not only because of combat, but it happens in first responders. It happens within major trauma to our personal lives accidents, losing people and so on that can that can, that can affect it, can affect us. And so that was, you know, that was, that was my response by, and I'm glad, you know, there's part of that story that I was glad it was able to come back and, and go through that. And, and maybe give me a closing that I thought I had before that that really meant something at this time. So, yeah.

Brian Lord:

What advice would you give to people who have gone through difficult things?

Rocky Bleier:

You know, I think that, you know, I think that the, I think the biggest thing is that it's very difficult to talk about trauma. I mean, it's difficult to, if you go through it in, and, and, and what needs to be done is that it needs to be talked about, you know in, in those, in those experiences as best possibly can, you know, whether it be, if it be professional help in some regards and it could be with family but it has to be confronted. And I really believe that the one just the, the, the ability to talk about your experience, whatever that experience was that has been harmful or impactful of, of, of having to go through some atrocities and, or personal injuries that we don't do as human beings necessarily. But I think that is first step to be able to admit it, look at it and be able to move forward and that we're not invincible. And so w you know, human traits are we don't talk about them. Human traits are, you know, we're tough people in, in we don't, we don't, we're not sensitive. We don't need to express that well but we do. And I think that's probably the most important thing. Time is just being able to do that and then talk about what has happened. So that's it.

Brian Lord:

Yeah. So one of the things that we like to do in this podcast is get questions from different people. And this one, and I know I mentioned this to you off here beforehand, but one of the biggest Pittsburgh Steeler fans ever is our, is our silent producer, Eric. And so he came up with some specific questions for you that he's curious about he being a huge Steelers fan, huge Rocky Bleier fan. So the first one he had was, how do you handle, how did you handle being told you wouldn't be able to play again?

Rocky Bleier:

Oh, well, you know, so my, my mindset of not being able to be played again was the, as I had mentioned before, it was a simple fact that, you know injuries are a part of whatever our lives are. You know, we get serious injuries. You get in college, I had a torn ligament, you know, it might be so it's so that you overcome that. I mean, you know, you come back and you do the things that are necessarily in play. So when people said that, you know, I just kind of took it as a grain of salt, as they say, you know, and, and not really internalize it, it didn't become an excuse for me. So I wanted to erase those excuses as we talked about. So I became very, you know, focused. I, I think big, the biggest thing is, you know, to be able to get rid of all those, what would'ves, could'ves and should'ves that we carry in our lives? You know, if I would've done this definitely would have worked out, if I would have, you know? And so that's the best thing that you possibly do is if you possibly can, is try to focus on what needs to be done at the, at the moment of time and get yourself back in shape to be able to play. And and and then hopefully get an opportunity you know, so you can only control what you can control. And now it was getting my body in shape was the only thing I could control. I could control whether I made the team or not. That that was my response. What may football, the sport that you wanted to fight so hard to get back to, you know, but I think that because it was a recognition, all right. I think all of us like to be recognized for something, I enjoy playing sports as a kid growing up, but like, everybody else played in the backyard. We had some success, you know, and it wasn't because I was successful was you played on teams that were successful. And because of that, they, they just would raise your expectation constantly, or the fact that you became, then you're identified with it. And so you became kind of successful. So I was at Notre Dame and we won a national championship, all that, that's pretty good. And I got a chance to able to just notice it during that period of time. So you got recognition for that to come to this dealers and you make it in the Pros and you're playing special teams, you know, what you're there. And so that, that, that probably that ego recognition was very important to me. And then you go, okay, fine. I had that focus. It wasn't as if I wanted to do anything else. I mean, it wasn't as if I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, or, you know, run the bar back in Appleton, Wisconsin, football was kind of that Avenue that sets you aside. You know, people recognize you and get a little Pat on the back for, you know, being a part of a, of a professional team and making that status so that, that fed one's ego. And so you want to do better and do better and do better. And that was kind of the guy, you know, that I was just very, I was very coachable, you know, so I was all the way through and I would do whatever anybody would tell me to do and focus on, you know, how to get better, you know? And that's just kind of helped me as I went, you know, went through things, didn't come naturally, but you worked on them, you know? And so and so that, that, that became a driving force as well. What was that first training camp like back in the seventies? Well, when I came back, you know, the, so the, the, the, the first G was just, you know, your, your back trying to, trying to make the team, you know, and hopefully get an opportunity. And, and so, you know, you're just back within that within that realm of, of, of being, going back though, to training camp, again, basically, you know, that, that was what, the name of the thing, you know, different. It was still the unknown. It was like being a rookie again. And you never know what's going to happen, and hopefully you get a chance to at least show, prove, or something. And you know, and I went to that first year, it was the first training camp and it was tough. I, you know, I might've come back a little too soon because it just it, it took a toll on my body. And there were things that I I just couldn't do. I mean, my fault, actually, it just, it you know, Oh yeah, I just two-day sessions meeting up and you know, it was limping and I was trying to get through. And that was, that was a tough thing. And so anyway, but, but you, you gotta, you got to, I got all the way through. And I remember he came into the locker room at the end, eh, at the last day it was the last day of training camp. And I thought, Oh, well, okay. Nobody said anything yet. And so I'm, I'm my locker. And then all of a sudden Ralph Berlin, who was our trainer, and he was, he was what we called the Turk. He was the one that would inform you that the coach would like to see you. So he stops in, I'm looking around thinking, Oh, well, maybe he stops. And he says the Rockies had a truck would like to like to see you kiss of death was and bring your playbook. That I'm going all. Okay, fine. So I went to see Chuck, he got up and he said he said, I we, we waived you today. And we I want you to go home, do what's necessary, get yourself back in shape and or whatever, and come back next year. And I argued with him little where I got this gumption. I said, you sure, are you sure? Yes. Oh, okay. Can I practice today? I mean, can I go to, I didn't know what else to do. And so it, let me go to practice. And it was finally when I went to practice, I'm thinking, what am I doing? Well? so I was heartbroken obviously because of the situation and I, when next morning I got a call from Dan Rooney and Dan who was president of the club, our son take it over. And he said he said, I'm sorry, it wasn't there yesterday. He said, I talked to Chuck and we're not going to take up a roster spot, but we're going to put you on injured reserve. I want our doctors to take a look at you and see if there's something they can do, and maybe you can come back and help us towards the end of the season. So I had I had some shrapnel that was working its way out. So we had another operation and broke up some scar tissue, but they bought me a year and they paid me a salary. And, you know, and I was hanging around and went through rehab and so went through and then eventually come back to meetings and kind of being, being there, suited up and then came back the following year, you know, a little bit better. You never know where the opportunities would come. And so they gave me before they gave me that chance, that opportunity, but that's, that's what that unknown for season was coming back.

Brian Lord:

So you know, you've had so many changes in your life from playing Notre Dame, Vietnam being with the Steelers what was the transition like to become a, you know, really successful speaker and then also having a one-man play?

Rocky Bleier:

Well, thank you very much for bringing that up. [Laughing] You know, they so, so for being a speaker. Okay. So let's, let's take it from that. And that's where we'd started is that, you know, it just, it just didn't, it just didn't happen. So he got invited to do sports penguins, you know, early on. And the only reason is that, you know, I had somewhat of a story and somebody said, well, do come and, you know, talk to the grade schools, sports banquet, you go, okay, fine. And so as I tell people, I, I, I wrote a speech. I mean, so I wrote a speech and it was like, basically like this speech and I have the tear and I take it out and pulled it back and say, who goes something like this, ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here. A lot of things have happened to me over the last couple of years. Some of them good and some of them bad then like after two, three years I could go ladies and gentlemen, a lot of things have happened to me over the last couple of years. Some of them good and some of them bad, then after three or four more years, I can put around the three by five cards, ladies and gentlemen, a lot of things have happened to you over the last couple of years. Some of them good and some of the, and that was, and that was the beginning now because we won. Okay. Because we were winning Super Bowls, then we became popular. And because we became popular you had a story to tell. And so I think I did every sports banquet in Western, Pennsylvania, Eastern part of Ohio, state of New York and the panhandle of West Virginia, and that's in that area. And so that becomes a basis of, you know, of, of being able to tell a story recreated with jokes. And then after I retired, I thought, well, that was the end of it. That was the end of it. Buddy calls like Brian, Lord, would you do this? You know, and you go, Oh, okay, fine. And so that's, that's how it developed and that's the game of basis. And then you try to, you know, be informative and try to take care of the customer audience and give them a story and relate it to their personal lives as well. And, you know, and then you become a speaker on the circuit, as they say,

Brian Lord:

Rocky, you've got this really successful one man play. Can you tell us about that as well?

Rocky Bleier:

Well, yeah, thank you. And it's called The Play with Rocky Bleier and was written by Jean Collier who was a sports writer here in Pittsburgh and has written some screenplays in the past since we've been able to, before it takes place in three bars, basically going over my life. And it goes back to Appleton Wisconsin, and we start talking about Appleton and the characters that I grew up with and the people within that area. And then it morphs into a Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh bar. And we talk about Pittsburgh and the Steelers, and then going into the military, as we talked about before, and then the third borrows my home bar reflective barn, which we then talk about what makes the Steelers, you know, what kept them together for that period of time. And so then we go back and we talk about the Super Bowls, but then we talk about Super Bowl 13 in which earlier and the impact that that had. And so it's been excellent production. The not because I'm starring in it, but the, the second, the sound and everything that makes a live performance, a live performance was really brought to fruition. So we're very happy to be able to continue to do and, and present it. And we've had the opportunity to, to move it around the country and perform it in different venues around the, around the country. So it's it was a great experience to be able to do that. And it's a lot of fun.

Brian Lord:

Well, Rocky, well, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. You know, your message resonates so well right now with where we are as a country and obviously with the sports world as well. So we really appreciate you coming on and being a guest on the Beyond Speaking Podcast.

Rocky Bleier:

Brian, thank you very much. And here's to 2021. A better year.

Brian Lord:

Absolutely. And for those, for those tuning in make sure to go to Beyond Speaking Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or anywhere you listen to podcasts and also check out Rocky Bleier at premierspeakers.com.

 

Beyond Speaking is hosted by Brian Lord and produced by Eric Woodie