Rocky Bleier's life story - a gripping tale of courage on both the football fields of America and the battle fields of Vietnam - has held audiences in rapt attention for years. Yet, the motivational message behind it, detailing how ordinary people can become extraordinary achievers, defines success in the new American century.

With a National Championship under his belt and captain of the team his senior year at the University of Notre Dame, Rocky Bleier was a good but not necessarily a gifted athlete. Not falling within the ideal of what a running back should look like, Bleier had to run harder and play smarter to be able to stand out. Despite his drive and ability to make the big play, the Pittsburgh Steelers only considered him a late round pick.

Before the season ended his first year, Rocky was drafted again...this time by the United States Army. At the height of the Vietnam War, Bleier was thrust into combat early and was seriously wounded when his platoon ran into an ambush. Receiving wounds from both rifle fire and grenade fragments in his legs, he was barely able to walk and his professional football career seemed to have ended before it began.

Doctors were certain that he could never play football again, but Rocky had a positive attitude. Believing in himself, he overcame his injuries through a relentless two-year therapy program. Little by little Bleier overcame obstacles and fought his way back. He not only rejoined the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he also eventually became a starting running back on a team that won four Super Bowls and became the greatest football team of the 20th century.

Bleier retired after an historic 12-season career in the NFL and today applies his experiences and attitudes toward meeting challenges and achieving goals in today’s business. With the same optimism, sense of humor and steadfast determination that were his trademarks as a Steelers running back, Rocky takes audiences from his early years through his professional career and talks about the lessons he learned along the way. Some of these lessons are seen between the lines in the popular book about his life, Fighting Back, which was recreated in the 1980 ABC-TV movie of the same name.

Bleier's special qualities have been recognized by colleagues as well as others who have honored him with awards too numerous to list in detail. Among them are the Whizzer White Humanitarian Award, the Vince Lombardi Award and the Most Courageous Athlete of the Decade Award. He was also chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Year by the U.S. Jaycees.

Rocky Bleier sees parallels between the challenges he faced in the past and the challenges all business people face in today’s crowded, competitive marketplace. He is confident that the types of goals we have are more than attainable for every one of us who approaches challenge with a positive attitude. His speech, "Be the Best You Can Be" motivates audiences to keep striving for greater accomplishments. As a motivational speaker, he employs a dynamic style with real life stories and brings it together with a warm, self-reflective humor that audiences can relate to.

• Be the Best You Can Be - Rocky Bleier motivates audiences to keep on striving for greater accomplishments. His dynamic style is coupled with real-life stories that are told from a first person perspective. Those stories about his fabled comeback from Vietnam injuries to Super Bowl star are utterly inspiring for their courage and determination. He brings it together with a warm, self-reflective humor that audiences really relate to.
  
  Whether it is career development for corporate executives, enhancing sales and marketing skills for sales teams, offering inspiration for young professionals or practical advice to student athletes, Rocky Bleier's delivery is a winner. His advice is not about avoiding life's twists and turns but conditioning one's self to lean into them and to incorporate the resulting energy in realizing goals.
  
  
  • Defining the team – common purpose with individual responsibility
  • Reflections lead to hope – reminders from what we have learned
  • Culture changes – part of the solution instead of participants
  • Overcoming challenges – on the football field, in the economy and in the workplace.