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| Clarion University presents An Evening with Rocky Bleier |
7/12/2012
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CLARION UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL PRESENTS
“AN EVENING WITH ROCKY BLEIER” – THURS., AUGUST 16–MARWICK-BOYD AUDITORIUM
(Sponsored By: RRR Roadhouse; Foradora Welding & Machine Inc.; Clarion Football Alumni)
(Clarion, Pa.): Rocky Bleier, a Four-Time Super Bowl Champion, Notre Dame Alumni and decorated Vietnam War Veteran, is coming to Clarion University on Thursday, August 16, 2012, for a motivational presentation called “Be The Best You Can Be”. Clarion University Football is organizing the event.
Set to begin at 7:30 p.m. and open to the public, Bleier will speak at Clarion's Marwick-Boyd Auditorium. All seats are General Admission priced at $15. The event is sponsored by RRR Roadhouse, Foradora Welding & Machine Inc. and Clarion University Football Alumni.
Tickets are available on line at www.clarionuniversitytickets.com and at 9 area locations. In Clarion at RRR Roadhouse, Dan Estadt's Sports Shop, Crooks Clothing, 6th & Main Market, Captain Loomis Inn and the Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry. Other ticket outlets include DeMans Sporting Goods in Brookville, Redbank Chevrolet in New Bethlehem and WFH Inc. in Sligo.
Anyone interested in group tickets can contact Clarion football coach Jay Foster at 814-393-2715, 814-227-7247 or via email at jfoster@clarion.edu.
“We are so proud to be hosting “An Evening With Rocky Bleier”, here at Clarion University,” said Foster. “We urge anyone interested to come out and hear his story and message of beating the odds and personal success. It will be a great motivational evening – one you will not want to miss.”
Rocky Bleier's life story is truly motivational. A gripping tale of courage on both the football fields of America and the battle fields of Vietnam – his story has held audiences at attention for years. Yet the motivational message behind it, detailing how ordinary people can become extraordinary achievers, defines success in the new American century.
With the same optimism, sense of humor and steadfast determination that were his trademarks as a Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Rocky Bleier takes audiences from his early years through his professional career and talks about the lessons he learned along the way – lessons we can all benefit from.
A native of Appleton, Wisconsin and a 1964 graduate of Xavier High School, Bleier attended Notre Dame and played for the Fighting Irish in the Fall of 1965, 66 and 67. He rushed the ball 166 times for 784 yards, while cacthing 36 passes for 422 yards. In all he scored 14 td's and helped the Irish to the 1966 National Championship.
After graduating in 1968, Belier was drafted in the 16th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers (417th pick) and made the team playing in 10 games, rushing 6 times for 39 yards and caught 3 passes for 68 yards.
Drafted in 1968 by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, Bleier served with the 4th/31st 196th Light Infantry Brigade stationed in Chu Lai. On August 20, 1969 while on patrol in Heip Duc, Bleier was wounded by rifle fire in the left thigh and then the lower right leg/foot by shrapnel from a grenade. He was awarded the “Purple Heart” and
“Bronze Star”.
Told in the hospital he would never play football again, Bleier fought the odds and came back to help the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowls during the seasons of 1974 (IX),' 75 (X) ,' 78 (XIII), 79 (XIV). A starter at halfback from 1974-80 (7 years) he rushed for 3,865 career yards on 928 carries (4.2 y/c) with 23 rushing td's. He also caught 136 passes for 1,294 yards and 2 td's. His top season came in 1976 when Bleier rushed for 1,036 yards on 220 carries with 5 td's. He and Franco Harris became only the second pair of running backs from the same team to rush for moré than 1,000 in a single season.
Bleier retired from the Steelers following the 1980 season. The hard lessons Rocky Bleier learned early in his life, which helped him overcome adversity and reach his goals, have paid off after football. What makes Bleier so popular as a speaker is his ability to translate core values in his speech, “Be the Best You Can Be”. He points out ways to reqach new levels of inner confidence.
Bleier's message resonates with all audiences. Individuals, teams, organizations, corporate executives, student-athletes – all respond to his message which inspires listeners and re-energizes them for real world and personal challenges the lie ahead. His advice is not about avoiding life's twists and turns, but conditioning one's self to lean into them and to incorporate the resulting energy in realizing goals.
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