Though very different in many ways, Steeler RB’s Rocky Bleier and James Conner can teach us lessons about life

… many reasons to emulate

Many contemporary young fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers do not know the story of Rocky Bleier. He is not a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, so his inspiring story is often lost four decades later.

It should not be forgotten.

Most do, however, understand the inspiring story of James Conner, the former running back from Erie McDowell High School and the University of Pittsburgh. Despite about a half-century difference in their ages, the two running backs have some striking similarities in their lives — and some interesting differences.

First, one similarity is the fact that both are/were running backs for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Second, the most striking one is that they both understand the meaning of adversity, and they demonstrated tremendous fortitude in confronting that.

In either case, their lives are worth exploring.

Rocky, the Fighting Irishman from Appleton, Wisconsin

Rocky Bleier grew up above his parent’s bar in Appleton, a city of about 75,000 people today. He attended Xavier High School and was a star athlete there. He was educated by the Christian Brothers and graduated in 1964. Rocky was then was offered a scholarship to attend Notre Dame. He was a member of the 1966 football team that played in the college football "Game of the Century" against Michigan State and won the national championship that season under Coach Ara Paraseghian .

Rocky was the team captain of the 1967 Notre Dame team and then was drafted by the Steelers in the 1968 draft. He later became a starter and earned four Super Bowl rings with the Steelers in the 1970s.

However, what is memorable about Bleier’s life and career was occurred after that 1968 season and in 1969.

Vietnam and the draft

After concluding the 1968 season with the Steelers, a distinctly unmemorable one (2-11-1, the year before Chuck Noll was hired), Bleier was drafted. He became a grenadier in Vietnam, which launched grenades against the North Vietnamese. He was wounded in the thigh during this, and during the encounter, a grenade from the enemy allowed shrapnel to enter his leg.

He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart because of his action.

As a result of this battle, he lost part of his right foot, and doctors told him that he would never return to the Steelers and play football for them — or for anyone. He had to undergo a number of surgeries just to allow him to walk again.

The doctors were wrong — but only because of the heart and tenacity of Rocky Bleier, which was truly special.

Card from Art Rooney, Sr., “The Chief”

During the 1970s when I was coaching football at St. Francis, we had an opportunity to have Rocky speak at a fundraiser. It was a special night for Coach Art Martynuska, and for Jerry Roberts, George Klayko, Father Jonas McCarthy and for me.

I remember quite a bit about that night, which drew a large crowd to the Stokes Center. However, one story that has always stuck with me was about how when Bleier was recuperating from his injuries in a hospital in Japan, he received a post card from The Chief, Steelers owner Art Rooney, Sr.

The message was short and cryptic: “Rock — the team’s not doing well. We need you. Art Rooney” [They finished 1-13 that year, Chuck Noll’s first, despite having their premiere player, Mean Joe Greene.]

Those were words that Rocky had to hear: They told him that he would be welcome back with the team, despite his physical woes.

The running back later wrote in his book, “When you have somebody take the time and interest to send you a postcard, something that they didn't have to do, you have a special place for those kind of people.”

His physical woes

Rocky was placed on injured reserve, weighing just about 180 pounds at the time. However, by the fall of 1971, he had rebuilt himself through sheer will and determination so that he was able to return to the Steelers’ roster. However, the road back was rocky, to say the least. The team had to waive him a few occasions, but no one picked him up.

After the Steelers drafted Franco Harris in 1972, it was clear that he was to be their premiere running back. However, by 1974, Bleier had earned a spot as the starting blocking back for Harris. By 1976, he and Harris both rushed for more than 1,000 yards and the Steelers won their first of four Super Bowl victories in the next six years.

Pain and suffering

What is missing from that account is the toll that constant pain took on Bleier. He had to wonder if he would ever make it back. After all, he had not been selected until the 16th round of the 1968 draft, the 417th player selected. And, if he had been drafted by another team, not one like the Steelers who cared for the welfare of their players, he might never have received that opportunity.

Rocky knew that, but pushed and pushed and pushed. That is why his story is such an inspiration today, just as it was then.

Quote from Rocky

After Bleier's injuries in Vietnam and during his battle to overcome them, Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian asked Rocky to address the team before their annual battle with a top rival, the University of Southern California (USC).

Here is his recollection of that night in 1969:

“I said, ‘It’s been two years since I stood here before you as a team captain. Over that time, some good and bad things have happened to me. One of the good things is that I met a group of people much like yourself…with the same dreams and aspirations we all have when we are young. The bad thing is that, unfortunately, I had to leave some of those people on the battleground of Vietnam.’ Then I got to thinking of some of those people. I started choking up. My stomach was in my throat. I said, ‘What I would like to do is dedicate tomorrow’s game in their honor and memory…’ Then I started crying. And nobody said anything. Ara just came over and sat me down. There was a cheer, and the fight song started playing, and everybody dispersed at that moment in time. And I felt kind of bad, because I put a hush on their big game." – Rocky Bleier, from Talking Irish: The Oral History of Notre Dame Football

https://125.nd.edu/moments/rocky-bleier-returns-from-vietnam/

Life of James Conner

The lives of Rocky and James had many similarities, but also many differences. James Conner was an African-American who grew up in Erie, Pa., eventually starring for Erie McDowell High School. Both athletes were recognized as members of their all-state teams, but Conner was not even seriously regarded by Notre Dame.

Conner’s parents divorced, and in his family, he had four older brothers. It was a tough household for the youngest, but he endured and became the best athlete of the family.

In his senior year at McDowell, Conner rushed for 1,680 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, Pitt did not have him listed as one of their top backs initially, but then offered him a spot. He committed to Pitt in Aug. 2012.

His college accomplishments surpassed Bleier’s

While at Pitt, he achieved early success, and in his sophomore season, rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns. The latter was a record for the Atlantic Coast Conference, and he was named the ACC Player of the year. He also received first-team All-American accolades by the American Football Coaches Association.

That in itself was far superior to anything that Bleier ever accomplished, so that was a major difference between the two.

After early accolades, horrific news

In the following season, Conner experienced early problems as he ripped his MCL in the first game of the season. As he was rehabbing that, he told doctors of experiencing tremendous fatigue and other physical problems.

That led them to take some tests, which revealed that he had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He received this information on Thanksgiving morning, and the next day, he sat with oncologists to outline a regimen that he could use to overcome the disease and return to football.

In a way, his period was somewhat like that of Rocky Bleier in that Tokyo hospital 48 years earlier. He had to be thinking that everyone that he had worked hard for was now appearing to be disappearing.

However, he resolved to fight, just like Rocky had done many years earlier. “When I heard I got cancer, I was a little scared,” he told reporters. “But fear is a choice. I chose not to fear cancer. We’re going to fight, and we’re going to beat this thing.”

Chemo is still horrible

The physicians outlined a six-month treatment of chemotherapy, one that he underwent at the Mario Lemieux Center for Blood Cancers in Pittsburgh. Lemieux, the Penguins legend, underwent a similar treatment for Hodgkin’s during his playing career — and recovered.

However, about halfway through the treatment, like so many cancer patients, Conner experienced doubts.

Quote from James

“But if I had to rank the things that they should tell you about before you go in for your first Hodgkin’s chemo session, the red pee thing would be pretty far down the list. Number one on that list would be this: They should tell you about the wall.

"Because you will hit a wall.

“For me it was treatment six.

“I mean, no chemo sessions are fun — they last nearly the entire day, and they make you throw up. They’re never something you’d enjoy.

“But treatment six — the halfway point of a 12-session course of treatments — that’s when things really got tough.

“I’m not going to say that I wanted to die right before receiving treatment six, because I wasn’t ready to leave this earth. But I definitely remember sitting in that green leather hospital chair, waiting for the nurse to mix up the chemo batch, and thinking, I do not want to be here right now.

“I wanted to get away, away from … everything.

"And I just kind of went numb — my entire body, numb.

“It was a sensation like no other I’ve ever experienced.”

— from theplayerstribune.com

Return in 2016

Conner recovered, pushing the cancer into remission, announcing on Twitter in May 2016 that he was cancer-free. He returned that fall and rushed for over, 1,000 yards.

For his career with the Panthers, he recorded 3,733 yards rushing and 412 receiving yards, for a total of 4,145 and 56 TDs.

He decided to forgo his senior year at Pitt and enter the 2017 NFL draft.

Doubts by NFL teams: The “C” Word

When the 2017 NFL was approaching, most experts believed that Conner, despite his college cred, would not be selected until the fifth or sixth round. No one wanted to say the “C” word, but everyone knew that would be held against him.

James had to be feeling like Rocky in Pittsburgh as he was trying to rehab, attempting to convince the Steelers that he could play in the NFL after suffering such a traumatic injury.

Nevertheless, he continued to work hard to prepare for that, and the Steelers surprised everyone by taking him in the third round.

Paid dividends

One similarity between Bleirer and Conner is that each was sitting behind a franchise running back, Franco Harris and Le’Veon Bell.

Nevertheless, in his second year, Bell decided to forgo the franchise tag and sit out for the 2018 season thus far, giving James an opportunity to start. The result has been impressive as he has compiled 743 yards rushing and 323 receiving for 1,066 yards and nine TDs in less than half a season.

In the last three games, he has rushed for 367 yards and caught 17 passes for 159 yards and six TDs.

With Bell no longer a factor, he could have a great season and could propel the Steelers into the playoffs again.

Similarities and Differences

So, these two running backs have very dissimilar stories and lives, but they certainly have stories that everyone should emulate. They have demonstrated tremendous intestinal fortitude during personal tragedies, something that many people could not. 

And, in an era when professional athletes at routinely obnoxious, they are people who did something very impressive.

Conner’s career is in his early stages, and while it is doubtful that he will ever wear four Super Bowl rings, he could wear a few if he continues to improve — and stays healthy.

The stories of these two men were worth writing … from a variety of perspectives. I hope that people enjoy reading about them.