Rosey Grier is a former NFL player who was notable for his defensive skills while playing for teams like the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams. He was dealt a major blow when a leg injury shattered his football career, but the resilient player picked himself up and immersed himself in acting. As an actor, Grier has made a few films by his name like Desperate Mission, Carter’s Army, The Man from UNCLE, Wild Wild West as well as Daniel Boone.
The multifaceted Grier is also a writer at heart, having authored several books including his autobiography entitled Rosey, an Autobiography: The Gentle Giant. He was also appointed a Protestant minister and his humanitarian works are widely recognized.
Biography of Rosey Grier
Roosevelt Grier, popularly known as “Rosey,” was born on July 14, 1932 in Cuthbert, Georgia, where he also grew up. He received his high school education from Abraham Clark High School in New Jersey, where he was a member of the school’s football team until his graduation in 1951.
Upon his admission to Pennsylvania State University, Grier continued to play soccer and quickly became known for his skills. In the 1955 NFL draft, he was selected in the 3rd round as a 31st overall pick by the New York Giants where he won two Pro Bowls in 1956, 1960, 1956, 1958 and 1959.
Rosie Griers was then traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1963 and it was there that he made his name as one of the veteran defensemen in the NFL alongside Lamar Lundy, Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. However, his football career ended abruptly in 1966 when he sustained a leg injury and was unable to fully recover. Then Grier looked for other ways to make a living, and that got him onto the big screen – as a TV personality and actor.
The former NFL player did quite well in films, and he’s honed that skill over shows like The Man from UNCLE where he also had a cameo role in The Wild Wild West and I’m Dreaming About Jeannie that was released in 1965. He has also featured in the film Desperate Mission and had a recurring role on the sitcom Daniel Boone. In the late ’60s, the NFL player-turned-actor started his own show called The Rosey Grier Show but it only aired between 1968-1970.
Rosey Grier later went on to star in ’70s films like Skyjacked, The Two Heads Thing, The Timbermen, Carter’s Army and a few others. He appeared as a contestant on the show, The Celebrity Porthole between 1981 and 1982. He was last seen in the film Reggie’s Prayer which was released in 1996.
In addition to his work on screen, Grier became a Protestant minister in 1983 and is known for helping the poor especially young people who are underprivileged. Moreso, the multi-faceted Rosey Grier, is an accomplished writer who has published an autobiography, as well as books such as Shooting Star, Rosey Grier’s Needlepoint for Men, and Rosey Grier’s All-American Heroes: Multicultural Success Stories, among others.
family
The former NFL player was born to parents Joseph Grier and Ruth Grier, who raised him along with eleven other children. His family is African American, but no further information is available about their personal life.
Grier has a few children, including a daughter from his marriage to a woman named Sherryl Brown-Tubbs. When he married Bernice Lewis, he also adopted their son Denise, but their marriage ended in divorce and not long after he remarried Margie Grier, who bore him Roosevelt Kennedy Grier. However, this marriage also ended in divorce in 1978. They reconciled two years later in 1980 and lived happily ever after until Margie’s death in June 2011.
About 2 years after Margie’s death, Rosey Grier remarried a third time to Cydnee Seyler, a schoolteacher at the Wichita School. The couple have been leading a blissful life since 2013 and there are no marital issues between the couple that have been made public.
Other facts about the American actor
Grier loves embroidery, especially needlepoint and macrame.
He was a former bodyguard for US Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the one who disarmed the assassin who killed the Senator.
Rosey Grier was named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt, former governor of New York City and former US President.
During his NFL career, he was one of the “Fearsome Four” consisting of Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones.
Grier was inducted into the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2017 for his contribution to society.
He announced his intention to run for governor of California in January 2017, but withdrew from running in July 2017.
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