Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier (born July 14, 1932) is 94 years old today.
He's an American former football player, bodyguard, actor, singer, Protestant minister, fiber artist, and motivational speaker. He played professionally as a defensive tackle in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams, where he was a member of the original "Fearsome Foursome" alongside Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Lamar Lundy.
Grier played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning All-America honors and a place on the NCAA's 100th anniversary list of the 100 most influential student athletes. Over 12 seasons in the NFL, he played in the Pro Bowl twice, was selected All-Pro multiple times, and won the 1956 NFL championship with the Giants in the pre-Super Bowl era.
After his football career, Grier worked as a bodyguard for Senator Robert Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign. He was guarding Ethel Kennedy when Senator Kennedy was shot, and though unable to prevent the assassination, Grier helped subdue the shooter, Sirhan Sirhan, by wrestling the gun away alongside Rafer Johnson.
Grier hosted his own Los Angeles television show and made approximately 70 appearances on various TV shows during the 1960s and 1970s. He became an ordained Protestant minister in 1983 and founded American Neighborhood Enterprises, a nonprofit serving inner city youth.
Grier is now the last surviving member of the Fearsome Foursome and continues to serve as a board member of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
