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Rocky Rosema

Rocky Rosema
Coach Bump Elliott and Rosema (No. 83) from 1968 Michiganensian
Date of birth(1946-02-05)February 5, 1946
Place of birthGrand Rapids, Michigan
Date of deathJanuary 15, 2020(2020-01-15) (aged 73)
Place of deathGrand Rapids, Michigan
Career information
Position(s)Linebacker
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight230 lb (100 kg)
US collegeUniversity of Michigan
NFL draft1968 / round: 5 / pick: 123
Drafted bySt. Louis Cardinals
Career history
As player
1968–1971St. Louis Cardinals

Roger William "Rocky" Rosema (February 5, 1946 – January 15, 2020) was an American football player. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, he played high school football at Grand Rapids Central High School. He next played college football for the University of Michigan, principally as a defensive end and linebacker, from 1965 to 1967. He also played professional football as a linebacker for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1968 to 1971.[1] In 2003, he was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame.[2][3] In 2011, Rosema lost a lawsuit against the NFL Players Association alleging that he was owed pension benefits.[4][5]

He died of dementia on January 15, 2020, in Grand Rapids, Michigan at age 73.[6] He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ "Rocky Rosema". pro-football-reference.com.
  2. ^ Josh Slagter (August 26, 2009). "Looking back at the glory days of Central football". The Grand Rapids Press.
  3. ^ "Inductees". Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013.
  4. ^ John Agar (September 8, 2011). "Former Grand Rapids Central star Roger 'Rocky' Rosema's request for NFL pension denied". The Grand Rapids Press.
  5. ^ Brian VanOchten (July 6, 2010). "Ex-Grand Rapids Central and Michigan star Roger 'Rocky' Rosema suing NFL Players Association". The Grand Rapids Press.
  6. ^ "U of M, Central High School football star Rocky Rosema dies at 73". mlive.com. January 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  7. ^ "The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)". Concussion Legacy Foundation. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller (June 20, 2023). "Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2023.


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