Mike Rozier
Encyclopedia
Michael Rozier is a former American collegiate and professional football
running back
who won the Heisman Trophy in 1983. He was born in Camden, New Jersey. Mike and his wife, Rochelle, an attorney, reside in South Jersey and together they have one son. Mike has two other children who reside in Texas. He was shot in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey in 1996 and suffered mild injuries to the liver and abdomen. He was treated at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and was later transferred to Cooper. In 2005, Rozier was inducted into the Camden County Sports Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
was a complete accident. Former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich
, at the time an assistant to head coach Tom Osborne, had been a keen observer of high school game films. Solich was watching film of Pennsauken High School
in Rozier's hometown of Camden, New Jersey
. Nebraska had been after one of Pennsauken's receivers. While watching film of Pennsauken's game against nearby Woodrow Wilson High School
, one player on the opposing team (Rozier) continually caught Solich's eye.
Rozier spent his freshman season at Coffeyville Junior College
in Kansas, in order to get his grades up. In his one season with the Coffeyville Ravens, he led them to a 9-0 season, gaining 1157 yards with a gaudy 7.4 yards-per-carry average, and scored ten touchdowns.
As a sophomore in 1981, Rozier first dazzled Husker fans with a 93 yard touchdown run against Kansas State
. As the season progressed, Rozier began challenging Roger Craig for the starting position, a job he would eventually win in the fall of 1982 prior to his junior year. Rozier's progress was so pronounced that the talented and established Craig moved to fullback.
During his junior season, Rozier broke Bobby Reynold's long-standing school record for rushing yards in a single season, with 1,689 yards and led Nebraska to a second consecutive outright Big 8 title and a 12-1 record, losing only in controversial fashion to eventual national champion Penn State
. In a particularly memorable performance against Missouri
, Rozier came off the bench in the second half to rush for 139 yards on 17 carries to lead Nebraska to a comeback victory despite suffering from a painful hip-pointer injury. Rozier finished the 1982 season
a consensus All-American and finished 10th in the Heisman voting.
As a senior, Nebraska's high-octane offense was often unstoppable, averaging 52 points and 401 rushing yards per game. Rozier's statistics were mind-boggling; a nation's best 2,486 total yards with 2,148 of those coming on the ground and twenty-nine touchdowns scored. His 7.8 yards-per-carry mark on the season still stands as the NCAA record for players with more than 214 carries in a season. Against Kansas, Rozier rushed for a staggering 230 yards in the first half and finished with 285 rushing yards total, at that time a school record. Rozier went over 200 yards in each of his last four regular season games of the 1983 season. His magical senior season was capped when he was awarded the Heisman Trophy
, given to the best individual player in college football
and was again an All-American
.
Unfortunately, his college career would end in disappointment, losing the (in)famous 1984 Orange Bowl
in which Miami
defeated Nebraska
31-30 for the national championship. Rozier had 138 yards on 21 carries at halftime against a Miami defense that was one of the best in the country, but he had to leave in the third quarter following an ankle injury. Rozier finished the game with 147 yards on 26 carries.
, in 1984 and 1985. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round (2nd pick overall) of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players
, joining them in the fall of 1985. He played six season for the Oilers, amassing a total of 900 carries for 3171 yards, including a 1002-yard rushing season in 1988. While playing for the Oilers, Rozier was elected to the AFC Pro Bowl
squad in both 1987 and 1988.
In 1990, Rozier only played three games for the Oilers, rushing 10 times for a total of 42 yards, before being traded to the NFC's
Atlanta Falcons
, where he finished the year with 153 carries for 675 yards. His final season in the NFL came the next year with the Falcons. He completed the 1991 season with 361 yards on 96 carries, announcing his retirement during the off-season.
Rozier finished his career with a grand total of 1159 carries for 4462 yards, having averaged 3.8 yards per carry, and scoring 30 touchdowns.
As of 2010, Rozier is ranked 139th on the NFL All-Time Rushing Yards list.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who won the Heisman Trophy in 1983. He was born in Camden, New Jersey. Mike and his wife, Rochelle, an attorney, reside in South Jersey and together they have one son. Mike has two other children who reside in Texas. He was shot in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey in 1996 and suffered mild injuries to the liver and abdomen. He was treated at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and was later transferred to Cooper. In 2005, Rozier was inducted into the Camden County Sports Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
College career
Rozier went largely unnoticed by most of the major college programs. His recruitment to NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
was a complete accident. Former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich
Frank Solich
Frank Solich is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Ohio University, a position he has held since the 2005 season...
, at the time an assistant to head coach Tom Osborne, had been a keen observer of high school game films. Solich was watching film of Pennsauken High School
Pennsauken High School
Pennsauken High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students Pennsauken Township, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Pennsauken Public Schools....
in Rozier's hometown of Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
. Nebraska had been after one of Pennsauken's receivers. While watching film of Pennsauken's game against nearby Woodrow Wilson High School
Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)
Woodrow Wilson High School is a four-year public high school in Camden, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Camden City Public Schools....
, one player on the opposing team (Rozier) continually caught Solich's eye.
Rozier spent his freshman season at Coffeyville Junior College
Coffeyville Community College
Coffeyville Community College is a community college located in Coffeyville, Kansas, United States. It was founded in 1923....
in Kansas, in order to get his grades up. In his one season with the Coffeyville Ravens, he led them to a 9-0 season, gaining 1157 yards with a gaudy 7.4 yards-per-carry average, and scored ten touchdowns.
As a sophomore in 1981, Rozier first dazzled Husker fans with a 93 yard touchdown run against Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
. As the season progressed, Rozier began challenging Roger Craig for the starting position, a job he would eventually win in the fall of 1982 prior to his junior year. Rozier's progress was so pronounced that the talented and established Craig moved to fullback.
During his junior season, Rozier broke Bobby Reynold's long-standing school record for rushing yards in a single season, with 1,689 yards and led Nebraska to a second consecutive outright Big 8 title and a 12-1 record, losing only in controversial fashion to eventual national champion Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
. In a particularly memorable performance against Missouri
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
, Rozier came off the bench in the second half to rush for 139 yards on 17 carries to lead Nebraska to a comeback victory despite suffering from a painful hip-pointer injury. Rozier finished the 1982 season
1982 College Football All-America Team
The 1982 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
a consensus All-American and finished 10th in the Heisman voting.
As a senior, Nebraska's high-octane offense was often unstoppable, averaging 52 points and 401 rushing yards per game. Rozier's statistics were mind-boggling; a nation's best 2,486 total yards with 2,148 of those coming on the ground and twenty-nine touchdowns scored. His 7.8 yards-per-carry mark on the season still stands as the NCAA record for players with more than 214 carries in a season. Against Kansas, Rozier rushed for a staggering 230 yards in the first half and finished with 285 rushing yards total, at that time a school record. Rozier went over 200 yards in each of his last four regular season games of the 1983 season. His magical senior season was capped when he was awarded the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, given to the best individual player in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and was again an All-American
1983 College Football All-America Team
The 1983 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
.
Unfortunately, his college career would end in disappointment, losing the (in)famous 1984 Orange Bowl
1984 Orange Bowl
The 1984 Orange Bowl was the 50th annual Orange Bowl Classic, played on January 2, 1984, between the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers and the once-beaten Miami Hurricanes, for the national championship. After leading 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Miami held on for a 31-30 victory...
in which Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
defeated Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
31-30 for the national championship. Rozier had 138 yards on 21 carries at halftime against a Miami defense that was one of the best in the country, but he had to leave in the third quarter following an ankle injury. Rozier finished the game with 147 yards on 26 carries.
Pro career
Rozier played his first two professional seasons in the United States Football LeagueUnited States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
, in 1984 and 1985. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round (2nd pick overall) of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players
1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players
The National Football League held a draft of United States Football League and Canadian Football League players on June 5, 1984. In an attempt to head off a bidding war in its own ranks for USFL and CFL players. NFL teams chose 84 players from 224 available during the three-round selection meeting...
, joining them in the fall of 1985. He played six season for the Oilers, amassing a total of 900 carries for 3171 yards, including a 1002-yard rushing season in 1988. While playing for the Oilers, Rozier was elected to the AFC Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
squad in both 1987 and 1988.
In 1990, Rozier only played three games for the Oilers, rushing 10 times for a total of 42 yards, before being traded to the NFC's
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he finished the year with 153 carries for 675 yards. His final season in the NFL came the next year with the Falcons. He completed the 1991 season with 361 yards on 96 carries, announcing his retirement during the off-season.
Rozier finished his career with a grand total of 1159 carries for 4462 yards, having averaged 3.8 yards per carry, and scoring 30 touchdowns.
As of 2010, Rozier is ranked 139th on the NFL All-Time Rushing Yards list.