Equal time for Packer fans

Michael Haz said...
I spent an hour in the Green Bay Packers locker room one day in 1970, courtesy of Rocky Bleier.
It's a strange story, and every word of it is true, as sure as my name's Bob.

I was a student at the second-rate college that was then called Wisconsin State University-Oshkosh, about one hour south of Green Bay.I was a lousy student. I swam through my first year in an ocean of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Three months into my second year the Dean of Students forcefully suggested that I leave college, and if at all possible, leave Oshkosh as well.

I took eighteen months off, moved into my parent's basement and worked two eight-hour jobs so I could save up enough money to go back.When I went back I lived in a rented townhouse with four other guys. They were all vets, older than me. They grew up in Appleton, half way between Oshkosh and Green Bay. Two of them graduated from Xavier High School where they were freshmen when Rocky Bleier was a senior.Bleier was a football hero in Appleton, and later at Notre Dame. He enlisted after college, went to 'Nam, and was shot in the leg. While he was on the ground a grenade exploded driving shrapnel into his leg, and taking off part of a foot. He had been drafted by the Steelers before going in to the Army. While he was rehabbing his legs, Art Rooney told him he wanted him to join the team. Great story; you can look it up.

Anyhow, I'm sitting in my townhouse one Wednesday after class and a couple of my roommates walk in with a third guy. The guy had a limp. One of them said "Haz, this is Bleier." We shook hands. I thought I was being punked.

We all went out for beer and hamburgers and beer and co-eds. Rocky was a magnet. Wow, was he a magnet. After a while I started to believe that he was who he said he was, but I wanted one last test. So I said "Hey Rock, as long as you're in town for a few days, can you get us in to meet some Packers?" He laughed and said "Probably. I'll let you know."Ha! An impostor.

Until the phone rang Thursday at noon and Rocky said "It's all set. Pick me up at my old man's bar in Appleton and we'll go."We piled into the least-beater of our cars, picked up Rocky and went to Lambeau. We went to a door the players use. Rocky talked tot he security guy, he looked at a clipboard and went to get an assistant coach. That guy came out, greeted us, and said "Come on in, boys.

"Cheese on a cracker! We were in the Packers locker room. Guys were pounding Bleier on the back (and shaking our hands).Lynn Dickey, David Whitehurst, Eddie Lee Ivery, James Lofton, Larry McCarren, Mike McCoy. Chaster Marcol was there, and probably sober.We went into the training room, the therapy room. Us non-footballers stood by and watched Bleier interact with the Packers players. Most of them were partly dressed, going into and out of the showers. I haven't seen that much salami in an Italian deli.

Our hour was up and we were ushered out. We went back to Appleton and had a few beers at Bleier's parents bar, then a few more at Schreiter's.We dropped Rocky at this parent's house and weaved our way back to Oshkosh.

Bleier rehabbed like a madman that year. He lived in Chicago and part of his regimen was to run the Sears Tower stairs twice each day. Monster.He went back to the Steelers and was teamed up with Franco Harris in the backfield. He played in four Steelers Super Bowl games.The football field at Xavier High School in Appleton, Wisconsin is now named Bleier Field.

You can look it up.

And that's my story.


Great story Michael. It is instructive that your main memory of the Packers were about a bunch of dicks. So to speak. Just sayn' Not that there's anything wrong with that.