“Rock, the team’s not doing well. We need you. Art Rooney.”
That message from Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney Sr. reached former running back Rocky Bleier while he was recovering from severe injuries sustained during the Vietnam War. It was more than a reminder that the team wanted him back. For Bleier, Rooney’s postcard represented a personal connection at a time when his football future seemed uncertain.
The Steelers had selected Bleier in the 16th round of the 1968 NFL Draft. Before he could establish himself with the team, however, he received notice that he had been drafted into the U.S. Army. After completing basic and advanced infantry training, he was sent to Vietnam in 1969.
Bleier served as a Specialist 4 with Company C, 4th Battalion (Light), 31st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade. His role as a squad grenadier involved carrying and operating the 40mm M79 grenade launcher.
## The injuries that threatened his football career
On August 20, 1969, Bleier’s platoon was operating in the Hiep Duc Valley when it came under enemy fire. An enemy rifle round struck his left thigh. Bleier later described the sensation as feeling like someone had punched his leg. Though wounded, he remained conscious and tried to determine whether he could still move.
He recalled that he was on patrol when the bullet hit. “It burned and bled, and I was hit for the first time that day,” he said. Members of his platoon dragged the wounded soldiers out of the area and established another secured position.
Then a grenade came into the area. It struck Bleier’s commanding officer in the back, bounced off him and rolled between Bleier’s feet. The explosion caused extensive damage to Bleier’s right foot and lower leg, sending shrapnel into the injured area.
Bleier was evacuated to an aid station in Da Nang and later taken to a hospital in Tokyo. Doctors told him he would never play football again. Approximately 100 pieces of shrapnel were removed from his leg and foot, and he underwent further surgeries at an Army hospital in Kansas.
A return to the NFL would require far more than allowing his wounds to heal. Bleier had to work to rebuild the strength, flexibility and mobility needed to play professional football after suffering serious damage to his lower body.
Rooney’s postcard left a lasting impression. Bleier later reflected that when someone takes the time to reach out without being required to do so, “you have a special place for those kinds of people.”
## Rebuilding for a return to the Steelers
After receiving an honorable discharge in 1970, Bleier began working out again. His recovery demanded sustained effort, and progress was gradual. Early in rehabilitation, he could run only about a mile on a good day. He ran in the morning, lifted weights in the afternoon and worked on sprints after dinner.
Even with that determination, a return to football was far from certain. Bleier eventually made it back to the Steelers in 1971. He went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, but the moment he later singled out as especially meaningful came in Super Bowl XIII against the Dallas Cowboys.
The game took place in January 1979, as Pittsburgh sought its third championship of the decade. With 33 seconds left in the first half, the Steelers had the ball at the Dallas 7-yard line. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw rolled right, while Bleier slipped into the right side of the end zone. Bradshaw found him for a touchdown.
The score gave Pittsburgh a 21–14 lead after the extra point. The Steelers went on to win, earning the third championship in franchise history.
Bleier has said that his Super Bowl XIII ring is the one he wears most often. The Steelers had previously faced the Cowboys in a Super Bowl, and this meeting carried special meaning for him. The ring represented a championship, but also the long road from the injuries that had once led doctors to say his playing days were over.
Nine years and 154 days after being wounded in Vietnam, Bleier scored a touchdown in the biggest game in football. His path back to the end zone was built through surgery, rehabilitation and years of hard work. The touchdown was a defining moment in his career—and a powerful reminder of how far he had come.
