Lancaster Dairy Farm Automation is sponsoring a unique highlight to the 2013 PA Dairy Summit – four-time Pittsburgh Steelers Superbowl champion Rocky Bleier will be the featured guest at the evening reception for dairy men and women. “Rocky Bleier's story is about 'fighting back' and overcoming what must have seemed like insurmountable odds to achieve in the career he chose,” said Summit Chair Keith Spicher of Kish-View Farm in Belleville, Pennsylvania. “Every dairy family in the country demonstrates that same determination to succeed in the industry that they are passionate about.”
One year after being wounded in Vietnam, Bleier reported to Steelers training camp. Upon his return, he couldn't walk without being in pain and he weighed only 180 pounds.He spent two full years trying to regain a spot on the active roster and was even waived on two occasions. But Bleier never gave up, and said that he worked hard so that "some time in the future you didn't have to ask yourself 'what if?'"
An offseason training regimen brought Bleier back to 212 pounds in the summer of 1974.
From that point, he would be in the Steelers' starting lineup – blocking in the first four Steeler Super Bowl victories and catching the touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw that gave Pittsburgh a lead it would never surrender in Super Bowl XIII.
Bleier retired after the 1980 season with 3,865 rushing yards, 136 receptions for 1,294 yards, and 25 touchdowns. At the time of his retirement, he was the fourth all-time leading rusher for the Steelers.
“We always try to include an inspirational message in our programming but Rocky Bleier is such a special addition," Spicher said.
Dennis Milhoan of Lancaster Dairy Farm Automation said, “We know that the dairy producers will not only enjoy hearing from and talking with Rocky, but they will quickly see the parallels to their own experiences and challenges.”
The 2013 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit will be on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 6-7, at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster.
The event is hosted annually by the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and the Center for Dairy Excellence, with support from the Penn State Extension Dairy Team and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
In addition to the brochure that will be mailed to more than 7,000 dairy farm connections, registration information will be available online in both a printable format and as a secure online registration form.
Click here to register.
The Summit business office can be reached at (814) 355-1912. PD
—From Center for Dairy Excellence news release
