Mike Rozier facts for kids
Rozier with the Houston Oilers in 1987
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | March 1, 1961 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 209 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | Woodrow Wilson (Camden) | ||||||||||||
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| Supplemental draft: | 1984 / Round: 1 | ||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Michael M. Rozier (born March 1, 1961) is a former American football player. He was a running back in both the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played for two seasons in the USFL and seven seasons in the NFL, from 1985 to 1991.
Rozier played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He won the famous Heisman Trophy in 1983, which is given to the best college football player. After college, he played for the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Jacksonville Bulls in the USFL. Later, he joined the Houston Oilers and the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. In 2006, he was honored by being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Mike Rozier was born in Camden, New Jersey. He went to Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden. There, he was a fantastic high school football player. Today, the football field at his old high school is named after him.
College Football Journey
Most big college football teams didn't notice Mike Rozier at first. His journey to play for Nebraska was quite a surprise. A coach from Nebraska, Frank Solich, was watching old high school game films. He saw Rozier playing for Woodrow Wilson High School and was very impressed.
Starting at Junior College
To improve his grades, Rozier spent his first year at Coffeyville Junior College in Kansas. In 1980, he led the Coffeyville Ravens to a perfect 9–0 season. He gained 1,157 yards and scored ten touchdowns that year.
Shining at Nebraska
In 1981, as a sophomore, Rozier showed his talent to Nebraska fans. He had an amazing 93-yard touchdown run against Kansas State. He soon became the starting running back for the team.
During his junior year in 1982, Rozier broke a school record. He rushed for 1,689 yards in one season. He helped Nebraska win the Big 8 title for the second year in a row. They finished with a great 12–1 record. Rozier was named an All-American and finished 10th in the Heisman voting.
Winning the Heisman Trophy
In his senior year, 1983, Nebraska's offense was incredibly powerful. They often scored 52 points per game. Rozier had an amazing season, leading the country with 2,486 total yards. He rushed for 2,148 yards and scored twenty-nine touchdowns. He rushed for over 200 yards in his last four regular-season games.
His incredible senior season ended with him winning the Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the best individual player in college football. He was also named an All-American again.
College Career Statistics
| Season | Team | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1980 | Attended Coffeyville Junior College | ||||||||||
| 1981 | Nebraska | 166 | 1,018 | 6.1 | 93 | 5 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 32 | 0 |
| 1982 | Nebraska | 268 | 1,807 | 6.7 | 62 | 15 | 6 | 46 | 7.7 | 14 | 2 |
| 1983 | Nebraska | 300 | 2,295 | 7.7 | 71 | 29 | 10 | 106 | 10.6 | 26 | 0 |
| Career | 734 | 5,120 | 6.9 | 93 | 49 | 20 | 216 | 10.8 | 32 | 2 | |
Professional Football Career
Mike Rozier was the very first player chosen in the 1984 USFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Maulers. He played his first two professional seasons in the United States Football League. He was with the Pittsburgh Maulers in 1984 and the Jacksonville Bulls in 1985. In 1985, he played for the Jacksonville Bulls in the spring and then joined the Houston Oilers in the fall.
Playing in the NFL
The Houston Oilers drafted him in the first round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players. He joined them in the fall of 1985. Rozier played six seasons for the Oilers. He rushed for a total of 3,171 yards. In 1988, he had a great season, rushing for 1,002 yards. While with the Oilers, Rozier was chosen for the AFC Pro Bowl team in both 1987 and 1988.
In 1990, Rozier played only three games for the Oilers before moving to the Atlanta Falcons. He finished that year with 675 rushing yards for the Falcons. His final NFL season was in 1991, also with the Falcons. He retired after that season.
Rozier finished his professional career with 4,462 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns. As of the end of the 2020 season, he ranks 172nd on the NFL All-Time Rushing Yards list.
USFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 1984 | Pittsburgh Maulers | 14 | 223 | 792 | 3.6 | 3 | 32 | 259 | 8.1 | 0 |
| 1985 | Jacksonville Bulls | 18 | 320 | 1,361 | 4.3 | 12 | 50 | 366 | 7.3 | 3 |
| Total | 32 | 543 | 2,153 | 4.0 | 15 | 82 | 625 | 7.6 | 3 | |
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 1985 | HOU | 14 | 133 | 462 | 3.5 | 30 | 8 | 9 | 96 | 10.7 | 52 | 0 |
| 1986 | HOU | 13 | 199 | 662 | 3.3 | 19 | 4 | 24 | 180 | 7.5 | 23 | 0 |
| 1987 | HOU | 11 | 229 | 957 | 4.2 | 41 | 3 | 27 | 192 | 7.1 | 27 | 0 |
| 1988 | HOU | 15 | 251 | 1,002 | 4.0 | 28 | 10 | 11 | 99 | 9.0 | 18 | 1 |
| 1989 | HOU | 12 | 88 | 301 | 3.4 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1990 | HOU | 3 | 10 | 42 | 4.2 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 46 | 9.2 | 24 | 0 |
| ATL | 13 | 153 | 675 | 4.4 | 67 | 3 | 8 | 59 | 7.4 | 24 | 0 | |
| 1991 | ATL | 11 | 96 | 361 | 3.8 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 20 | 0 |
| Total | 92 | 1,159 | 4,462 | 3.8 | 67 | 30 | 90 | 715 | 7.5 | 52 | 1 | |
Personal Life
Mike Rozier has been married to his wife, Rochelle, since 2005. They live in Sicklerville, New Jersey, and have a son named Michael Guy Pacheco Rozier. Mike also has two other children, Amber and JaMichael Rozier, who live in Houston, Texas.
In 2013, Mike, his wife, and three other family members appeared on the TV show Family Feud. He was also known for being one of the most stylish dressers among Heisman Trophy winners. On April 9, 2024, a street in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, was named in his honor. A sign was also put up in the city to celebrate him.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I FBS players with at least 50 career rushing touchdowns
- List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders
- List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders
