Bleier has been nominated for Steelers Salute to Service

To Steelers fans, he is known simply as Rocky Bleier, or “Rock” for short.

He is known differently to those in the U.S. military.

Specialist 4 Robert Patrick Bleier, Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient.

So it should come as no surprise that Bleier is the Steelers nominee for the NFL’s Salute to Service Award, presented by USAA.

The award recognizes NFL players, coaches, staff and legends who are committed to supporting the military community.

And no one has made such a commitment as Bleier, or continues to do so.

Bleier, who played college football at Notre Dame, was drafted by the Steelers in the 16th round of the 1968 NFL Draft.

Bleier played eleven seasons for the Steelers, was a member of four Super Bowl teams in the 1970s and is now a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor. He rushed for 3,865 yards and 23 touchdowns while catching 136 passes for 1,294 yards and two touchdowns in an offense that featured Hall of Famers Franco Harris, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.

However, his life is defined by much more than just statistics.

A year after being drafted by the Steelers, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and left football to fight in the Vietnam War. It would change his life.

While on a mission to help others, he suffered an injury that he thought would end his football career before it had barely begun. He was wounded when enemy gunfire hit him in the thigh and shrapnel hit him in the lower legs, causing him to lose part of his right foot, while on a mission with the Charlie Company 4th Battalion (Light), 31st Infantry. 196th Light Infantry Brigade during an attempt to recover the bodies of others killed in an ambush in Hiep Duc. During the recovery attempt, four more soldiers were killed and 25 others were injured, including Bleier.

Bleier left with his life, but assumed his football career was over.

Bleier received the support of Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. during his time in Vietnam, and upon his return with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Rooney gave him the opportunity to work his way back onto the field, which he ultimately did before the game of 1971. season.

Bleier could have easily given up on football, but instead fought back and served as an inspiration to everyone.

“When I came here, especially when I was trying to form a professional football team, I didn’t know what the future would bring,” Bleier said. “I know most of my life has been in Pittsburgh, with an organization and a family like the Rooney family and how they ran the organization. Whatever success I have is directly tied to an opportunity, getting an opportunity, a being a teammate.” with all those Hall of Famers, being part of a team that won those four Super Bowls and dominated the imagination of Steelers fans and football fans around the world, I understand that group didn’t have those high standards.

“When I look back on the success and what has happened in my life, it is part of being a group of people who have helped you raise your status in the sports world and in this city.”

Bleier returned to Vietnam in 2018 for the first time since he was injured for an ESPN documentary, “The Return.” He went there on the 49th anniversary of the day he was injured, for an emotional, raw and painful visit to the rice field where the attack took place.

Bleier has shared his story again and again in different ways, but this time he hoped the way it was shared would help not only him, but other veterans who had also served in Vietnam.

“In retrospect, I look back and I’m very happy that I went back,” said Bleier. “I think it’s given me the closure I didn’t know I needed. It’s very satisfying to me that if it ultimately gives someone else the closure they need, maybe it will help them understand things and settle things.” That would make it all worth it.”

Because the bottom line is that Bleier wants nothing more than to help others.

Bleier wrote a book about his struggle to come back from his injury called “Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story,” which was made into a television movie in 1980. He released a special edition of the book in support of the Fighting Back for Veterans campaign. . The new release, titled “Fighting Back: The inspiring Journey of American Hero Rocky Bleier,” benefited military veteran groups including Veterans Leadership, Joint Training Facility and Legacies Alive.

“The idea was to be a voice for the veterans today,” Bleier said when it was released. “There are new photos, so it’s up to date for other generations to enjoy. It’s a story. It’s one of those timeless stories of overcoming obstacles and perseverance that generations need to read.”

Bleier, who has remained in Pittsburgh since the end of his playing career, has been an important part of the community since his retirement, especially helping with veterans’ causes. He speaks to companies, athletes and fellow veterans about his experiences to help them in their lives.

He currently supports numerous veteran causes, including Operation Strong Vet, Victory Media, and Nationally Owned Veterans Business Association (NaVOBA). He has been involved with the Wounded Warriors Project, Warriors2Citizens, Veterans Job Fair, Operation Check Point, Homeless Vet Run, Vietnam Veterans of America, The Crucible, National Veterans Wheelchair Games, SW Veterans Center and Veterans Leadership Program.

Bleier is also actively involved with St. Barnabas Health and has worked with Habitat for Humanity, Boy Scouts of America, Special Olympics and the United Way.

Bleier is also one of the owners and managing members of RBVetCo, a disability and veteran-owned business. RBVetCo specializes in building, renovating and extending commercial buildings.

Bleier starred in “The Play: With Rocky Bleier,” a 90-minute one-man play that shared his life from wounded warrior, to Super Bowl champion, to family man and community activist.

“He’s had an interesting life. An exceptional life,” former teammate and Hall of Famer Lynn Swann said as “The Play” was performed. “Rocky is a hero. He saved lives in Vietnam. He overcame great obstacles just to be able to walk, let alone play football.”

Bleier was honored in 2020 with the NCAA Inspiration Award, which is presented to a coach or administrator actively involved in intercollegiate athletics, or to a current or former varsity letterwinner at an NCAA institution who used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome a life-changing situation and serve as a role model to provide inspiration to others in similar situations. To be eligible for the Inspiration Award, a member of the armed forces confronted with a duty-related situation must have an action that clearly goes above and beyond the call of duty and thus is recognized by the appropriate military leadership.

And without a doubt, Bleier has checked all those boxes, and continues to check boxes and inspire others.

“The older I get, the more I appreciate Rocky and his story and his triumphs,” said Hall of Famer and former teammate Mel Blount. “He showed us all about perseverance, dedication and hard work. That determination to achieve the goals he set.

“He is a man who showed us how to live and taught us about life’s challenges and how to overcome them.”