 Grier in 2008 at the Movieguide Faith and Value Awards Gala | |||||||
| No. 76 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | July 14, 1932 Cuthbert, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 284 lb (129 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Abraham Clark (Roselle, New Jersey) | ||||||
| College: | Penn State | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1955 / round: 3 / pick: 31 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier (born July 14, 1932) is an American former football player, bodyguard, actor, singer, Protestant minister, and motivational speaker.
He was a college All-American football player for Penn State, and earned a place in the NCAA 100th anniversary list of 100 most influential student athletes.[1] A professional player for 12 seasons, Grier was a member of the New York Giants and the original Fearsome Foursome of the Los Angeles Rams. He played in the Pro Bowl twice, was select All-Pro three times,[2] and won the 1956 NFL Championship with the Giants.
After Grier's professional sports career, he worked as a bodyguard for Senator Robert Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign. Grier was guarding Ethel Kennedy when Senator Kennedy was shot. Although unable to prevent the assassination, Grier took control of the gun and subdued the shooter, Sirhan Sirhan.
Grier hosted his own Los Angeles television show and made approximately 70 guest appearances on various shows during the 1960s and 1970s.
Grier became an ordained Protestant minister in 1983. He founded American Neighborhood Enterprises, a nonprofit organization that serves inner city youth. He travels as an inspirational speaker.
Among Grier's hobbies are crocheting, knitting, needlepoint and macramé. In 1972, Grier wrote Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men, a book that was published by Walker and Company on January 1, 1973.[3][4][5]
- ^ "The NCAA's 100 most influential student-athletes". ESPN. April 12, 2006. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ Greenlaw, Marshall (November 4, 2018). "Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier (1932- )". Black Past. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
- ^ Furness, Zack (Winter 2010). "It's Alright to Cry (and Needlepoint): Rosey Grier, Football Hero and Unlikely Craft God" (PDF). Bitch. No. 49. pp. 17–18, 21.
- ^ Mlnarik, Kelsey (November 14, 2012). "Rosey Grier: From NFL Football to Knitting & Needlework". Crochet Concupiscence. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
- ^ "Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-12-16.