The First Question I’ll Ask Legend Rocky Bleier
? The Steelers champ is here August 22 at noon ET
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? Family business, life lessons
The city of Appleton, Wisconsin, sits along the banks of the Fox River, and its population has more than doubled from the 30,000 or so residents who called it home in the mid-1940s.
If you happened to pass through the town back in those days and needed to wet your whistle, the locals might have directed you to Bleier’s Bar, a tavern run by Bob and Ellen Bleier. And if you took their advice and sat within earshot of the bartender, you might have overheard a conversation that went something like this:
“Bob, how’s that new kid of yours?”
“Aw, you should see him, guys. Looks like a little rock sitting in that crib. He’s got all these muscles.”
That’s how Robert Patrick Bleier, the “little rock” in that crib, became known as Rocky Bleier, a nickname that fit him perfectly not only as an infant but throughout his storied professional football career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When Rocky agreed to join me as a guest on Off the Rak, I had to contain my inner giddiness. As a lifelong Steelers fan, how could I not be excited to talk with one of the all-time greats of that franchise – a four-time Super Bowl champion and a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor?
To top it off, he also was awarded a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service in the Army during the Vietnam War.
Rocky remains active as a motivational speaker, an advocate for veterans, and an expert on retirement planning. But it’s the story behind his success that most interests me. His message about overcoming obstacles and fighting back with optimism, humor, and determination are not only inspirational but highly applicable to today’s leadership environment.
Rocky was a great athlete in Appleton, a really good athlete at Notre Dame, and an underdog athlete by the time he reached the NFL. And injuries suffered while serving in the Vietnam War severely decreased his odds of making an impact with the Steelers. And yet his impact was incredible, and that took more than muscles.
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I have a million questions I’d like to ask Rocky when we visit, and I know I’ll only get to a few of them, but I also know where I’ll start: Bleier’s Bar.
When my dad was growing up in Pittsburgh, his parents owned a small grocery store and they lived below it. Much of what he learned about hard work came from growing up in that environment, and I wonder if the same is true for Rocky. That’s because the crib where “the little rock” slept in 1946 was in a room above Bleier’s Bar.
That’s where Bob and Ellen Bleier raised Rocky and his three younger siblings. So that’s where we will start our discussion. In a crib above a bar in Wisconsin. I can’t wait to see where it goes from there!
? Coming soon to Off the Rak
Robert Creighton is one of those all-arounders: an actor, singer, dancer, composer, writer, and coach. And now he can add “Off the Rak guest" to his resume as he joins us to talk succeeding in show business —?notoriously a business of “no.”
? About Off the Rak
Walt Rakowich's passion to help shape a generation of leaders who lead with honesty, humility and heart inspired him to launch Off the Rak: Conversations on Transformative Leadership. Featuring rich and raw conversations with notable leaders across different industries, Off the Rak inspires curious leaders to embrace challenges, seize opportunities and become positive influences in their world.
Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes here .