Former Patriot Remains Diehard Fan
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
Bob Bleier is a partner at the Bonadio Group, where he's the head of financial service investments and insurance planning.
Football has been part of Bleier's life for as long as he can remember. His cousin is former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier. But deep down, Bob Bleier has always been a New England Patriots fan.
"I've been able to meet a lot of the players over the years and it's been exciting to watch how they've progressed from the 80s until now with all the Super Bowl appearances and successes,” said Bleier.
Bleier grew up in Greece. He went to high school at Aquinas where he became a Section V Hall of Fame quarterback.
From Aquinas, Bleier went on to the University of Richmond where he played four years at quarterback. He drew the interest of NFL scouts and signed a free agent contract with the Patriots in 1987.
"That was like a dream come true, no doubt, because every little boy who plays Pop Warner football is always looking to take it to the next level and I really had a great opportunity to get there."
Bob earned the final spot on the Patriots roster that year, the only rookie among four quarterbacks on the team. Then came the NFL players strike, and Bob was faced with a difficult decision.
"I decided at that point in time probably the best thing for me was to have a chance to play so I did cross the line along with probably another famous name, Doug Flutie, who was at the Patriots at the same time."
Bleier played in three games during the strike of ‘87, and that was the extent of his NFL playing career. He completed 14 passes in 39 attempts with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for a score as the Patriots went 2-1 in those three games.
"Being able to throw a touchdown pass as well as run a ball in for a touchdown was incredibly exciting because I can say something that a lot of people on this planet can't. So that was the most satisfying part."
Bleier says following the ‘87 season, he had opportunities to join other teams but declined the invitations.
"At that point in time, I thought maybe ultimately that wasn't where I was going to be or where I wanted to be, so I stayed here in Rochester and got involved in the financial services industry and that's where I've been ever since."
On Super Bowl Sunday, Bob's financial planning will have to take a backseat as his heart will be with the Patriots.