Rocky Bleier’s Improbable Comeback Remains One of Football’s Great Underdog Stories

PITTSBURGH — Think about this for a moment: A 16th-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, barely on the radar in 1968, gets his shot with the Steelers, shows some promise as a blocker and runner — and then gets drafted again. This time by the U.S. Army, right in the thick of Vietnam.

Rocky Bleier shipped out in 1969. Less than a year later, on Aug. 20 in the Hiep Duc Valley, his platoon walked into an ambush. Bullet to the thigh, grenade fragments tearing into his right foot. Doctors told him he might never walk normally again, let alone play football. The Purple Heart and Bronze Star he earned that day were consolation for a career that seemed finished before it really started.But Art Rooney kept him on the roster. Chuck Noll believed. And Bleier, through brutal rehab and sheer will, fought his way back.

Cut in 1970. Injured reserve in ’71. Special teams in ’72 and ’73. By 1974, he was starting alongside Franco Harris in one of the most fearsome backfields in NFL history. In 1976, both topped 1,000 yards rushing — a rare feat that powered the Steelers to back-to-back titles. Bleier finished with four Super Bowl rings (IX, X, XIII, XIV), 3,865 rushing yards and a reputation as the ultimate team player.

Sources close to the Steelers at the time said Bleier never complained, never sought sympathy. He just worked. That quiet determination — forged in combat — became the backbone of Pittsburgh’s 1970s dynasty.More than 50 years later, in an era of load management and social media celebrations, Bleier’s journey stands out. A reminder that some of the greatest contributions come from players who overcome the longest odds, ask for nothing extra and simply deliver when the stakes are highest.Football has seen plenty of warriors. Few have worn the scars quite like Rocky Bleier.