Rosey Grier is a former NFL player who was notable for his defensive skills when he played for teams like the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams. He suffered a blow when a leg injury shattered his football career, but the resilient player pulled himself together and immersed himself in acting. As an actor, Grier has two movies to his name, like The Desperate Mission, Carter’s Army, The Man from UNCLE, The Wild Wild West as well as Daniel Boone.
The multi-faceted Grier is also an accomplished writer who has written several books including his autobiography titled “Rosey, An Autobiography: The Gentle Giant.” He was also appointed as a Protestant minister and his humanitarian works are highly recognized.
Biography of Rosey Grier
Roosevelt Grier, nicknamed “Rosey” was born on July 14, 1932 in Cuthbert, Georgia, where he was also raised. He attended high school at Abraham Clark High School in New Jersey, where he joined the school’s football team until graduation in 1951.
Upon admission to Pennsylvania University, Grier continued to play football and in no time, he became known for his talents. In the 1955 NFL Draft, he was chosen in the 31st round as the 31st overall pick by the New York Giants, where he won 2 Pro-Bowls in 1956 and 1960, 1956, 1958 and 1959.
Rosie Grier’s was then traded to the LosAngeles Rams in 1963, where he rose to fame as one of the NFL’s top defensemen alongside Lamar Lundy, Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. However, his football career came to an abrupt end in 1966 when he injured his leg and failed to bounce back. Grier then looked for other ways to make a living and it got him screen time – as a television personality and actor.
The former NFL player has done well in movies and it’s a skill he’s improved through series like this. The Man From UNCLE where he had a cameo role, as well as The Wild West and I Dream of Jeannie which was released in 1965. He also featured in the movie The Desperate Mission and had a recurring role on the sitcom Daniel Boon. In the late 60s, the player turned NFL player started his own show called The Rosey Grier Show but it only aired between 1968 and 1970.
Rosey Grier was then seen in 70 productions like Skyjacked, The Two-Headed Thing, The Timber Tramps, Carter’s Army and a few others. He appeared as a contestant on the show, The Bullseye Celebrity between 1981 and 1982 and he was last seen in the movie Reggie’s Prayer which was released in 1996.
Apart from his on-screen works, Grier was made a Protestant Minister in 1983 and notable for helping the poor especially disadvantaged youth. Multifaceted artist Rosey Grier is an accomplished writer who owns both an autobiography and books such as “Shooting Star,” Rosey Grier’s “Needlepoint for Men,” and Rosey Grier’s American Heroes: Success Stories multicultural”, among others.
Family
The former NFL player was born to parents JosephGrier and Ruth Grier who raised him alongside eleven other children. His family is African American, but no further details are available about their personal life.
Grier has two children which include a daughter of his allegiance with a lady identified as Sherryl Brown-Tubbs. When he married Bernice Lewis he also adopted her son, Denise, but their union ended in divorce and soon after he remarried Margie Grier, who gave birth to him Roosevelt Kennedy Grier . However, that marriage also ended in divorce in 1978. They reconciled two years later in 1980 and lived happily ever after until Margie’s disappearance in June 2011.
About two years after Margie’s death, Rosey Grier married a third time to Cydnee Seyler, a teacher at Wichita School. The couple have been living a happy life since 2013 and there are no public marital issues.
Other Facts About the American Actor
Grier loves embroidery, especially needlework and macrame.
He was a bodyguard for US Senator Robert F. Kennedy and it was he who disarmed the assassin who killed the senator.
Rosey Grier was named in honor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, former Governor of New York City and former President of the United States.
During his NFL career, he was part of the “Four Fears” consisting of Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones.
Grier was named a member of the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. He also earned a spot in the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2017 for his contributions to society.
He announced his intentions to run for governor in the state of California in January 2017, but pulled out of the race in July 2017.
