WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

 

ROCKY BLEIER
Running Back

1968, 1970-80

Resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

 

 

What are you currently doing?

During the days I played and since I retired I have had the opportunity to be on the “speaking tour.” It developed into a business. I do about 80-100 speeches a year around the country for various organizations, primarily marketing/sales groups. I have also talked at Universities and schools. It evolves into what I am doing today.

 

My message is about overcoming obstacles, I talk about success. I talk about the changes that are taking place in a business environment or the challenges we all face as we move forward and how do you maintain a level of success, how do you set goals, those types of things. I relate it to the Steelers specifically in that period of time that I played here. To understand success you must understand your past, your culture and where you came from and what formulates you to who you are today, comes out of your experiences. If you look at the Steelers you go back to where the team started and how it evolved. It was the mentality of 40 losing seasons. Then it turned around with Chuck Noll. I relate that turnaround to getting the right leadership. Chuck did that. The Immaculate Reception was a turning point. You finally got a big play that turned the tide. We finally won a big game. It was the beginning of what led us to the Super Bowls. What the Steelers did then was spur the Steelers Nation that we have today.

 

I also own a construction company, RB Vet Co. It’s a veteran owned company. We are general contractors and do work for the Corp of Engineers and for the VA Hospital here in Oakland. We have an office in Chicago too. We have been in Iowa and Indiana doing work.

 

I am also a spokesperson for NaVOBA, which is the National Veteran Owned Business Association. It helps promote the soldiers coming back from Iraq, and all soldiers, and promotes veteran owned businesses to bring them together and become a strong voice in diversity groups in corporate America and the federal government.

 

 

Do you receive a lot of feedback from the speeches?
The immediate feedback is that was a great speech, I really enjoyed it. But what I have found is that no matter where I may go, and I have spoken in all 50 states, I have run across Steelers fans in all 50 states. The impact that it’s had in their lives and how it sustained them over a period of time. A lot of times I get specific feedback on how it influenced people and what they have been through. Some people tell me how it motivated them and that the challenges in their life really aren’t that great.

Speaking is much like playing. They either like you or they don’t like you. That’s why I have enjoyed it and had the opportunity to do it over the years.

 

 

Does that feedback help you keep doing the speeches through the years and keeping it fresh?
The challenge for me is to do that, make it relevant to today, to keep it in context of what my life is, to keep it in line with the Steelers and for me specifically going to Vietnam and coming back. That’s the core of the message and who I am. But it’s been 27 years since I retired. There is a whole generation out there who just came into being and don’t necessarily remember the 70s except through the NFL Network and Classic ESPN. There are some things that are the same, but it is a different world. I can’t always been talking about the old days. I have to talk about what is happening today.

 

I remember doing a speech in Chicago at the Navy Pier. I came in and a gentleman came up to me and said I just want to take this opportunity to thank you. I heard you speak before and I had to come to this because you saved my life and he walked away. All of a sudden you think that is an awesome responsibility.

 

We make an impact on people’s lives whether we think we do or not, in a positive or negative connotation. We all have that impact.

 

 

What is the fondest memory from your playing career?

It’s tough to define one memory because they come in stages of what takes place. The first time I got the chance to play in the backfield was one. Going to the first Super Bowl was one. I went into the locker room before anybody else I saw Mr. Rooney. We hugged and he said thank you. That was a great memory. Catching a touchdown. Franco (Harris) and I have a 1,000-yard year.

 

Tied in was maybe scoring my last touchdown at Three Rivers Stadium and the last time I carried the ball to win the game. Everybody that plays the game of sports, as they are playing in the backyard, all imagine hitting that grand slam home run, or hitting a three-point jumper in the last second, or scoring a touchdown to win the game. That is created at a young age playing the sport. I don’t think there is a player who hasn’t thought about that or gone through that. To live it at the highest level of this game on a professional level, the last touchdown at home to win the game. I would like to have had it happen in the Super Bowl, but we didn’t go there in the 1980 season. The offense orchestrated a drive 80 yards and moved the ball when it was pride that took over. It was a team effort all the way down that culminated in me taking it in 11-yards for the touchdown to win the game. I would have liked it to be the Super Bowl, but it wasn’t.

 

It was a culmination of my career in that I played with some great guys. I played for 12 years. I played in four Super Bowls. I never made All-Pro or the Hall of Fame, I didn’t catch touchdown passes in Super Bowls, but you were there and you were a part of it. Not everybody gets to be a star, but everybody gets to participate.

 

 

What did you like most about playing for the Steelers?

I liked the ownership and who didn’t. I liked Mr. Rooney and Dan. I liked the front office. That was my first experience. They treated me fairly. They did everything they could for their players. It was a team that was in alignment of who they were. The owner was trying to be the head coach and the head coach wasn’t trying to be a general manager. Everybody had their role and they functioned well in them and there was an expectation in those roles. It’s always been that way. They took care of you. Secondly, coming here to Pittsburgh was like a larger version of Appleton, Wisconsin where I grew up. It was a mill town. There were ethnic pockets along the river in both. There was a blue-collar mentally in both. I went through with the Packers in the 60s what the fans did in Pittsburgh with the Steelers in the 70s. You put all of those experiences together and it made a difference.

 

 

Who is the one player you think should definitely be on the 75^th season team?

If I could only pick one, it would be Terry Bradshaw. My feeling is that offensively we could not have won those four Super Bowls without him. I thought he was the catalyst. The ebb and flow of the game was up to Bradshaw.

 

 

Do you still follow the Steelers and if so, how closely?

I have season tickets and I go to the games. I follow them. I am not a fanatic, but I cheer them on and keep tabs on what is happening and who is coming and going.  

 

Visit the Steelers Alumni page for more on the team's former players.