How did Rocky Bleier go from the Army to 4 Super Bowls?

Rocky Bleier. Vietnam infantryman told he would never play again who fought his way back onto the Pittsburgh Steelers, won 4 Super Bowls, and became an author and speaker on resilience.

In the military

Drafted December 1968 after his Steelers rookie season; M79 grenadier with C Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade; arrived Vietnam May 1969 at Chu Lai; wounded Aug 20, 1969 near LZ Siberia (shot in the left thigh, then grenade fragments to the right foot and legs). Awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The transition

• Doctors in Tokyo considered amputation after a staph infection; the infection cleared.
• Steelers owner Dan Rooney put him on injured reserve and arranged surgery; he was released in 1970 training camp, made the taxi squad in 1971 and special teams in 1972.
• ‘My focus was to come back. I started working out as soon as I could.’.
• Returned to the Steelers in 1972 and went on to win 4 Super Bowl rings.
• Later said telling his story was ‘a personal catharsis’ that let him come to terms with his service.

What came next

• 4 Super Bowl championships with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Became a 1,000-yard rusher in 1976 alongside Franco Harris.
• Wrote the memoir Fighting Back (1975), adapted as a 1980 TV movie; long career as a motivational speaker.

In Bleier’s own words

“My focus was to come back. I started working out as soon as I could.” (Interview in Vietnam magazine, June 2014)

“I suppose that if my being here can help these people take one step forward in their lives instead of two steps back, maybe that’s why I’m here.” (Recalling his thoughts while serving in Vietnam)

“We pray that we come back from war. We have to live with the scars, both visible and invisible.” (Pentagon Vietnam War Commemoration event)

“Those lessons we learned on the gridiron as well as on the battlefield are the same ones that we learn every day in our lives.” (Pentagon event with Roger Staubach, Oct 21, 2015)

“For me was a personal catharsis. It gave me a chance to come to terms with that service that everyone else repressed.” (Pentagon event)

“As a kid, we all have bumps and bruises and sprains and broken fingers, or whatever it is.” (Vietnam War 50th Commemoration oral history)

Lessons for your own transition

• A setback that looks career-ending can be a delay; Bleier spent about 2 years rebuilding before he earned a roster spot.
• Find the sponsor who keeps the door open: Dan Rooney’s decision to keep him on injured reserve bought the time he needed.
• Talking about your service is part of the transition; Bleier calls telling his story a catharsis.

More veterans who made the leap

See them all, and practical steps for leaving after a long career: How do I transition from the military to civilian work after 30 years?.