A Notre Dame graduate and team captain, Bleier was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 16th round of the 1968 NFL Draft — the 417th overall pick. He wasn't the prototype running back. Too small, scouts said. Not fast enough. He made the roster on effort and football IQ alone.
Then, as his first professional season was winding down, he received his second draft notice — this one from the United States Army. At the height of the Vietnam War, Bleier was deployed with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. Just months into his tour, his platoon was ambushed. A bullet struck his left thigh. Moments later, a grenade exploded nearby, sending shrapnel through his right leg and foot. He was evacuated to Da Nang, then Tokyo, then home — where doctors told him his football career was finished.
He refused to accept that verdict. Over the next several years, Bleier endured a brutal rehabilitation — mile by painful mile, rep by agonizing rep — driven by the belief that ordinary people, through determination and discipline, can accomplish extraordinary things.
Bleier didn't just make it back to the Steelers. He became a starter on what many consider the greatest NFL dynasty of the 20th century. Running alongside Franco Harris and blocking for Terry Bradshaw, he was part of a Pittsburgh backfield that helped the Steelers claim four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s. In 1976, both he and Harris topped 1,000 yards rushing in the same season — an elite feat. Bleier finished his 11-year NFL career with 3,865 rushing yards and the respect of teammates, opponents, and fans alike.
His life story was documented in his memoir Fighting Back, later adapted into an ABC television movie. He's been telling that story in person ever since — for good reason. It works.
"Ordinary people, through determination and discipline, can accomplish extraordinary things."
Running a dealership isn't for the faint-hearted. Inventory challenges, shifting consumer expectations, regulatory pressure, and a competitive market mean every day tests the resilience, leadership, and adaptability of owners and their teams. That's what makes Bleier's message relevant.
He speaks to what it takes to compete when the odds are stacked against you — how to lead a team through adversity, how to stay the course when quitting seems like the rational choice, and how the habits forged under pressure ultimately determine outcomes. These aren't abstract concepts for a man who fought his way back from a war wound that cost him part of his foot. They're lived experience.
Whether you're a dealer principal, a general manager, a sales professional, or a finance manager, Bleier's perspective offers something every member of your team can take back to the lot on Monday morning.
