CARDS: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2021

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

• Rosey Grier played his college football at Penn St from 1952-’55.
• He excelled not only at DT and DE but also as a track man in discus, javelin, and shot put.
• Selected by the New York Giants in the 3rd round (31st overall) of the 1955 NFL Draft.
• First played at RDE his rookie season, and then in ’56 moved to DT after the Giants acquired Andy Robustelli from the Rams.
• Played for the Giants through the ’62 season, where the team built on a strong defense, reached the title game 5 times- winning once.
• Traded to the Rams and helped form the famous Fearsome Foursome defensive line.
• Tore Achilles tendon during the 1966 season, ending his career.
• After retirement he spent some time working the TV circuit hosting the Rosey Grier Show in LA, and landed guest roles on Wild Wild West, Man From UNCLE, Kojak, Make Room for Granddaddy, CHIPS, Quincy M.E., and Daniel Boone.
• During the 70’s he also became a mainstay celebrity on TV game and talk shows and was involved in movies.
• Since then he’s lived a full and busy life through community service and charitable causes, and has written 6 books.

ACCOLADES:

• Top 100 Most Influential Student Athletes
• New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame 1996
• Penn State Distinguished Alumni Award
• Pro Bowl 1956, ’60
• All Pro 1956, 1958, 1959

NOTES:

In 1968, Rosey Grier was a bodyguard to Robert and Ethel Kennedy and helped detain Sirhan Sirhan after he assassinated RFK, by inserting his thumb into the gun’s hammer and snapping Sirhan’s arm.

Rosey Grier is also (unintentionally) hilariously known for his role in the movie The Thing with Two Heads.

Grier is one of the personalities and great players of the early NFL that has not gotten his due from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.