Fighting Back: My Thankful Thursday

Heroes - A person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities. Heroes inspire us. They take us to places we never thought possible. Sometimes, they show us that the impossible is really possible. Heroes never seek to be heroes, but they also aren't willing to back down in the face of terrible odds.

Everyone has heroes, although some of us have trouble identifying ours. I was that way for a long time... trying so hard to figure out who really was a hero to me, not in a general sense. I mean I think that anyone who volunteers to put their life on the line for others is a hero. Police, Firefighters, Soldiers and Sailors all fit this bill. But there are an elite few that really inspire me by their example, their courage and commitment. There are only a handful of people out there whose heroism has touched me in a personal way. The stories of their triumphs help me to push forward, even when I feel like I have nothing left. That's what heroes do. That's who heroes are. And that's why I am thankful for each and every one of them.

My Thankful Thursday post is inpired by:

Rocky Bleier, Pittsburg Steelers Linebacker 1968, 1971-1980

In 1968, Robert "Rocky" Bleier was drafted into the Pittsburg Steelers football organization after a sterling performance in college with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. But that wouldn't be his only draft. After playing his rookie season, Bleier was drafted by the US Army and ended up with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade patrolling in Heip Duc. During a patrol, his company, moving to rescue another company that had been ambushed, was ambushed themselves. Bleier soon found himself shot in the leg. Before long, Rocky had even more to worry about, as a grenade, bouncing off another, landed nearby and went off. The blast sent shrapnel through his foot. In no time, every member of his company was either killed or wounded.

Bleier crawled through the rice paddies trying to get away. He was also carried for a distance on a poncho, but the extra weight was too much for men with other wounds and he was set down while some of his fellow soldiers went for a chopper.

In Rocky's own words: "A few minutes later, I saw a black hand reach down to pick me up. This man put me over his shoulder and carried me the rest of the way to the helicopter. Racism was never more turbulent than back in the 60s, but in those rice paddies, we were colorblind. We were Americans. I never found out his name. I thought for sure someone would come forward, but to this day no one ever did."

After 14 hours, Bleier's injuries were finally able to be treated. Bleier was evacuated to Tokyo where he underwent surgery to remove the shrapnel from his foot. Over 100 pieces of metal were removed and during recovery, Bleier's thoughts started drifting back to playing football. He asked his doctors when he'd be able to play again and the replies were heart-rending. One doctor told him that playing football on a professional level was going to be impossible, that he might be able to walk again with some degree of normalcy would be a struggle but possible. The other doctor told him to forget about playing football, there was just too much damage to his foot.

Not long after that difficult news, Rocky Bleier received a postcard from Steelers owner Art Rooney: "Rock - the team's not doing well. We need you. Art Rooney" Three weeks after his first surgery, he was transferred to Ft. Riley, Kansas to begin his recovery. In January of 1970, he underwent a second surgery to remove bone spurs and free ligament from scar tissue. After the surgery, Bleier was declared 40% disabled by the Veteran's Administration. This was unsatisfying to Bleier, Art Rooney had said the team needed him.

Not willing to give up, Bleier used shock therapy, stretched with large rubber bands, lifted weights and ran sprints every day. On the weekends, he would run stairs at K-State's stadium with weights on his ankles.

"I just wanted to play football more than anything else in the world," recalled Bleier. "I was a bachelor. Football was my life and my dream at the time. Nothing else mattered. I loved the game so much. I didn't want to look back later in life and regret not giving the game every ounce I had."

Less than 6 months after his second surgery, he reported to the Steelers training camp. After some discussion between Head Coach Chuck Noll and owner Art Rooney, Bleier was accepted back and placed on the Injured Reserve list, where he continued to concentrate on his rehabilitation. Rooney paid for a 3rd operation, where the Steelers Team Doctor instead of Army doctors removed even more shrapnel and ripped apart scar tissue to give the halfback more flexibility. He kept up with a rigorous workout, continuing to punish himself and push himself as the painful road to recovery continued. Bleier worked hard, but ended up pulling a hamstring in training camp for the next season. Bleier was put on waivers, but didn't let it stop him from trying, even as he moved from the team's playing field to the office, working with the team's scouting department and on the taxi squad.

Bleier came back to camp in 1972 and his performance dropped jaws. His benchmark 40 yard dash had IMPROVED from before his injury. The hard work was paying off. He made the regular squad and became a Special Teams spectacular. In the offseason, he hit the weight room and bulked up, being able to bench press 440 pounds. In 1974, he started in the backfield with Franco Harris and became an indelible part of a dynasty. In Superbowl XIII in 1979, Bleier and the Steelers went head to head with the Dallas Cowboys and his efforts were legendary.  On a team with other football greats, Rocky Bleier holds his own. Mean Joe Green, Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw... and Rocky Bleier, who was their teammate and inspiration.

In 1969, Rocky Bleier was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in action and the Bronze Star for heroism in the face of the enemy. When he retired in 1980 after Superbowl XIV, he was awarded his 4th Superbowl Champion's Ring. Through all the pain and injuries, he never stopped, never quit.



And today, I am thankful to Rocky Bleier for being one of my inspirations.