Mike Rozier played seven years in the NFL as a running back and had modest stats, including one season of 1,000 rushing yards and two Pro Bowl selections.
However, as a collegian, Rozier was a wrecking ball.
Playing for Nebraska in the early 1980s, he kept the juggernaut Cornhuskers rolling by tearing up large chunks of yardage.
In 1983, Rozier won the Heisman Trophy with 2,148 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, both program-record marks.
3⃣0⃣ days until the start of the 2024 NFL season
Houston Oilers who have worn 3⃣0⃣:
Mike Dukes
Charlie Rieves
Bernie Parrish
Hoyle Granger
Don Hardeman
Kenny King
Larry Moriarty
Mike Rozier 📸
Victor Jones
Mike Davis
Anthony Dorsett#LuvYaBlue pic.twitter.com/IYqx8VHM3s— 𝕃𝕦𝕧 𝕐𝕒 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 (@BudsOilers) August 6, 2024
After playing two seasons in the short-lived USFL, the running back joined the Houston Oilers in 1985.
His college accomplishments didn’t quite carry over to the pros, and he reached 1,000 yards in a single season in 1988.
When the 1991 season ended with Rozier a member of the Atlanta Falcons, he hung up his cleats for good.
Since retiring, he has been involved in charity work and is active in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey.
This is the story of Mike Rozier.
Camden Born and Bred
Michael M. Rozier was born on March 1, 1961, in Camden, New Jersey.
Happy birthday to former #Oilers RB Mike Rozier, BOTD in 1961
🏥 Camden, NJ
🎓 Nebraska
♦️ Drafted in 1984 Supplemental Draft (1-2)
🗓 1985-1990
📊 3426 rush yards, 27 TDs; 80 rec., 641 yards, TD
🎽 3⃣3⃣ (1985-1986)
🎽 3⃣0⃣ (1987-1990)#LuvYaBlue 🎂 pic.twitter.com/FuFvzF5ZMK— 𝕃𝕦𝕧 𝕐𝕒 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 (@BudsOilers) March 1, 2023
Although his neighborhood wasn’t the safest, Rozier avoided the traps of crime and gang life and went the route of sports instead.
When he reached Roosevelt High School (now known as Eastside High School) in Camden, Rozier was blossoming into a bundle of athleticism.
He was quick, fast, and elusive both on the track and on the gridiron for the Tigers.
During his four years at Roosevelt, Rozier played fullback in a wishbone offense.
Even in an offense heavy on running with multiple backs, Rozier still gained mass quantities of yardage.
In fact, the locals still talk about the day when he ran wild and netted 300 yards in a single game.
By the time he wrapped up his prep career, Rozier had set several program records.
Mike Rozier Way
Husker legend, Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier was honored earlier today in his hometown of Camden, NJ with a street dedicated in his honor.
In his three years at Nebraska, Rozier rushed for 4,780 yards & 49 TDs. #GBR pic.twitter.com/2BQR0XkyIi
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 9, 2024
The football field at the school was eventually renamed in his honor, and in 2024, the city of Camden renamed the street Rozier grew up on after him.
“My family grew up on this street,” he noted, “and this city is in my blood. I want every kid in this city to know that my legacy can be their legacy, too.”
Rozier Gets Noticed
There were a few setbacks in Rozier’s high school development.
At the beginning of his junior year, the teachers at Camden High went on strike, which affected the football season, reducing it to only four games.
“That’s why I had to go to junior college,’ Rozier said. “It messed by grade point average up. My mother was head of the PTA and helped break the strike, so the teachers wanted to get back at me. They lowered my average by a point.”
Although Rozier was a good running back, he wasn’t heavily recruited by major colleges.
However, one day Frank Solich, an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska, was watching game film of a player at a rival school.
The receiver he was scouting (future San Francisco 49er John Taylor) made play after play.
30 Days until college football!
Mike Rozier's legendary Nebraska career almost never was. In high school, he caught the eye of Frank Solich, who was watching film of the opposing team. Rozier began his career at the JUCO level and finished as Nebraska's all-time leading rusher. pic.twitter.com/bsS4980krP
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) July 28, 2022
Solich also noticed the running back for the rival team, Rozier, running wild.
“Mike kept sticking out on the film,” Solich remembered.
When the assistant reported his findings to then-head coach Tom Osborne, Nebraska made a scholarship offer.
Unfortunately, because of Rozier’s low grade point average, junior college was his only option, at least initially.
Coffeyville
Next thing he knew, Rozier was hundreds of miles west in Coffeyville, Kansas.
The Red Ravens of Coffeyville Community College were more than happy to get his services while Rozier worked on his grades.
In the fall of 1980, head coach Dick Foster’s team had both Rozier and future pro Mel Gray in the backfield.
During a contest against Fort Scott, Rozier rushed for 176 yards.
Here's a #tbt for #Huskers fans. Former Heisman winner RB Mike Rozier wearing No. 30 at Coffeyville CC & #Nebraska pic.twitter.com/vU4qNCvEwu
— Nate Clouse (@NateClouse) July 31, 2014
Weeks later, he had a wild game against Dodge City, blowing through tacklers to the tune of 295 yards on the ground in a 63-21 blowout win.
Coffeyville finished the regular season undefeated and met Arizona Western in the Beef Empire Bowl for the NJCAA championship.
Both defenses held their ground while both offenses found gaining yards a chore.
Eventually, the Red Ravens prevailed 7-6.
The school was then ranked second overall in the NJCAA standings behind only Northeast Oklahoma.
Nebraska
Rozier’s lone season in Kansas resulted in 1,157 yards, a 7.4 yards-per-carry average, and 10 touchdowns.
The University of Nebraska was pleased not only with the back’s play, but also with his academic improvement and welcomed Rozier with open arms.
When he arrived on campus, Rozier learned he would be sharing carries with fellow running back Roger Craig, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Both players still got plenty of work in Osborne’s I formation offense.
Happy Birthday Mike Rozier, Nebraska Cornhuskers, 1983 Heisman Trophy winner. 2,148 yds, 7.88 ypc. @ClintKPoppe @HuskerFBNation #Cornhuskers #Nebraska #Huskers @Nebraska @ChrisRaff7 #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/hzL1S3OpDY
— History of College Football (@HistColFootball) March 1, 2023
Craig got 173 rushing attempts in 1981 while Rozier got 151 attempts.
As the Cornhuskers went 9-3, including an Orange Bowl loss to Clemson, Rozier had 943 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
He also returned five kick returns for 162 yards and one touchdown.
Rozier was chosen as a first-team All-Big Eight after the season.
Rozier Supplants Craig
The ‘Husker coaching staff had a conundrum on their hands.
Having two stellar running backs in the same backfield at the same time meant not fully utilizing the talents of both.
Osborne and company made the difficult decision to move Craig to fullback and keep Rozier at tailback.
Despite standing 5’11’ and weighing 210 pounds, Rozier slashed and pounded his way through opponents.
Happy birthday to Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier! pic.twitter.com/13MNQY42ya
— Adam Carriker (@AdamCarriker94) March 1, 2017
In a game against Missouri on October 23, the running back sat out the first part of the contest due to a hip pointer.
The Tigers played well in the first half and were leading before Osborne turned to Rozier and asked him to play.
Although he had pain in his hip, Rozier rumbled for 139 yards in the second half alone, helping the ‘Huskers come back to win 23-19.
He finished the season with 1,689 yards (a school record), a conference-leading 15 rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns, and 55 kick return yards.
Before Nebraska’s 21-20 victory over LSU in the Orange Bowl, Rozier was named a Consensus All-American, a first-team All-Big Eight, and Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year.
1983
Even after setting a Nebraska single-season rushing record, Rozier was just getting warmed up.
Apparently, in 1983, so was the rest of the team.
Quarterback Turner Gill handed off to Rozier often when he wasn’t throwing to receiver Irving Fryar.
The ‘Huskers buried Penn State in Week 1, 44-6.
Two weeks later at Minnesota, Nebraska hammered the Golden Gophers, 84-13.
A week later, the offense racked up 600 yards of total offense against UCLA, which included Rozier’s 156 yards and two scores.
His two-yard touchdown before halftime was electric as the running back ran to the left of the offense before cutting back and running to the opposite side of the field to elude tacklers.
#CFB returns in 30 days
Mike Rozier – Nebraska pic.twitter.com/uYNUXUVb5J
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) July 28, 2022
The last four games of the regular season saw Rozier rush for over 200 yards each time.
He buried the Kansas Jayhawks with 230 yards in the first half alone on November 12 and finished with 285, setting a single-game school record.
When the 1983 regular season ended, Nebraska had averaged 52 points per game and was ranked first in the nation.
Mike Rozier from Nebraska won the Heisman in 1983. pic.twitter.com/UMoZXo8MHf
— Miles Commodore (@miles_commodore) May 7, 2022
Rozier led the Big Eight conference with 275 attempts for 2,148 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Both Rozier’s rushing yards and touchdowns were tops in the nation and set school records.
Furthermore, he tied an NCAA record with 11 100-yard rushing games, and Rozier’s 2,486 all-purpose yards set a Nebraska single-season record.
The Heisman
During awards season before the ‘Huskers met the Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, Rozier took home a pile of accolades.
Not only was he a Unanimous All-American, but he was also first-team All-Big Eight (for the third time), and Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year (for the second time); the running back was also voted as the Heisman Trophy winner.
Happy Birthday to 1983 Heisman winner Mike Rozier! The @HuskerFBNation star re-wrote the Nebraska record books as a senior, gaining 2,148 yards and scoring 29 TDs, averaging nearly 8 yards per carry. He was the NFL's No. 1 draft pick in 1984. pic.twitter.com/P8s02gXrXE
— Heisman (@HeismanTrophy) March 1, 2022
He promptly handed the award to his mother.
“On behalf of the Downtown Athletic Club and me – Mom, this trophy is for you,” said Rozier from the winner’s stage.
When he was interviewed about the upcoming tilt against Miami, the newly crowned Heisman recipient was confident.
“We’ve gone too far now to be stopped,” Rozier said. “Our toughest games are in the past — Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Penn State. Miami is a good team, but I don’t think they have the defense to stop us.”
The ‘Canes disagreed and led 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Two ‘Husker touchdowns in the second quarter closed the gap to 17-14.
Rozier had 138 yards at halftime, but an ankle injury limited him to only nine yards in the second half.
Without their leading rusher at 100%, Nebraska lost in a massive upset, 31-30.
January 2, 1984
Orange Bowl
Nebraska tries for 2 and the win, Ken Calhoun brakes up the pass
31-30 #Canes#TheU pic.twitter.com/7Ir3MQFKBj— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) January 2, 2024
Nebraska’s fate was sealed after scoring a late touchdown, and Coach Osborne called a two-point conversion attempt that was batted away.
Bolting for the USFL
In three years at Nebraska, Rozier had totals of 4,780 yards and 49 rushing touchdowns, 20 receptions for 216 yards and two receiving touchdowns, and 449 yards and one score as a kick returner.
Nebraska retired his #30 jersey number, and the back was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Several NFL teams were interested in selecting him in the 1984 NFL Draft.
“He’s a super prospect,” said Gil Brandt, Vice President of the Dallas Cowboys in charge of player personnel, and one of the finest judges of football talent. “He has everything it takes to be a successful pro running back.”
Meanwhile, the upstart United States Football League (USFL) also had its eyes on the Heisman winner.
Pittsburgh Maulers uni — Mike Rozier pic.twitter.com/baTXqKVI2z
— ᑭᖇO ᖴOOTᗷᗩᒪᒪ ᒍOᑌᖇᑎᗩᒪ 🏈 (@NFL_Journal) December 30, 2023
Months before the ‘84 draft, the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers signed Rozier to a three-year, $3 million contract.
“The NFL knew the USFL was coming after me, and they knew I might sign with the USFL,” Rozier said at a news conference.
Despite the news, the Houston Oilers still picked Rozier in the 1984 Supplemental Draft.
As a rookie, Rozier rushed for 792 yards and three touchdowns while the Maulers went 3-15.
Rozier Heads to Houston
Following the season, the Maulers ceased operations, and Rozier signed with the Jacksonville Bulls.
Mar 21, 1985: Jacksonville Bulls Mike Rozier and Orlando Renagades Reggie Collier equalled the USFL record for TDs in a game. Both scored four in this game between Jacksonville and Orlando. The Bulls won 34-31 in overtime. Rozier also set a USFL record with 38 rushing attempts. pic.twitter.com/GWvpPeLvPp
— Jack Eich (@jackeichsays) March 21, 2020
Jacksonville’s roster included two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin (who had been out of football for the previous two years) at running back, receiver Gary Clark, and linebacker Vaughan Johnson.
Clark and Johnson would soon become NFL stars.
That season, Rozier reached 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 50 catches for 366 yards and three scores as the Bulls went 9-9.
Then, with news that the USFL would be folding, Rozier inked a deal to play for the Oilers for the 1985 season.
OTD in 1985, the Oilers sign 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier to a contract. Houston had selected Rozier 2nd overall in the 1984 Supplemental Draft, right behind Steve Young and ahead of Gary Zimmerman & Reggie White pic.twitter.com/fHwb4F4zFo
— 𝕃𝕦𝕧 𝕐𝕒 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 (@BudsOilers) July 1, 2021
He finished the year with 462 yards and eight touchdowns.
Rozier’s total of 1,823 combined rushing yards in the USFL and NFL in 1985 set a record for most rushing yards in the same year in two different leagues.
Pro Bowler
With two games remaining in the 1985 season, Houston owner Bud Adams fired head coach Hugh Campbell, and defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville took over.
Although the team lost both games Glanville coached, Adams made him the new full-time head coach in 1986.
OTD in 1986, the Oilers open Jerry Glanville's first full season as head coach when they visit Lambeau Field and defeat the Packers 31-3.
Warren Moon threw for 218 yards and 2 TDs, to Butch Woolfolk and Drew Hill, while Mike Rozier ran for 83 yards. Larry Moriarty added 53… pic.twitter.com/qNdoXHG8BI
— 𝕃𝕦𝕧 𝕐𝕒 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 (@BudsOilers) September 7, 2026
The Oilers went 5-11 for the second year in a row, but the roster was beginning to grow in talent.
Rozier started 13 games and rushed for 662 yards and four touchdowns while taking handoffs from quarterback Warren Moon.
In 1987, Moon threw passes to receivers Drew Hill, Ernest Givins, and rookies Curtis Duncan and Haywood Jeffires.
🏈OTD in Houston Oilers History🏈
1987 – The Oilers come out of the strike gunnin' & shoot down the Falcons 37-33 thanks to 144 yards rushing and a TD from Mike Rozier. @Run81Shoot also scored a TD of his own, w/ 5 rec. for 99 yards. @RichardJ_23 had an INT & Keith Bostic a sack pic.twitter.com/XXluIfBgYI
— 𝕃𝕦𝕧 𝕐𝕒 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 (@BudsOilers) October 25, 2023
The Oilers had a loaded backfield with Rozier, Alonzo Highsmith, and Spencer Tillman.
Still, Rozier rose to the occasion and rushed for 957 yards and three scores while catching a career-high 27 passes, and was voted to his first Pro Bowl
Houston went 9-6 during the strike-shortened season and beat Seattle in the wild-card round before losing to Denver in the divisional round.
A year later, the 1988 Oilers went 10-6 before losing to Buffalo in the divisional round.
OTD in 1988, the Oilers travel to Indianapolis and trip up the Colts 17-14 thanks to a Tony Zendejas game-winning 35-yard FG in OT.
After the Colts scored in the first quarter, CB Steve Brown brought Houston even when he picked off a Gary Hogeboom pass and weaved his way to… pic.twitter.com/PF6wpRno2r
— 𝕃𝕦𝕧 𝕐𝕒 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 (@BudsOilers) September 4, 2026
For the second year in a row, Rozier was voted to the Pro Bowl after rushing for career-highs in yards (1,002) and touchdowns (10) while catching his only career receiving touchdown.
Rozier Becomes a Falcon
In 1989, Glanville’s crew went 9-7 with Rozier starting 10 games and netting 301 yards and two touchdowns.
Through the first three games of the 1990 season, the running back mostly guarded the sidelines and had all of 42 rushing yards.
Adams felt that Rozier’s best days were behind him and tried to trade him.
When there were no takers, the team released Rozier.
Happy birthday to ex @AtlantaFalcons RB Mike Rozier (65)! The former Heisman winner went to the @USFL before joining the #Oilers in '85. He was a 2-time Pro Bowler who started 11 games for Atlanta in his final season in '90, earning a spot in #TecmoSuperBowl. Happy birthday Mike! pic.twitter.com/P69Oi3PxRu
— SBlueman (@SBluemanTecmo) March 1, 2026
That same year, Glanville had been hired as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and he signed Rozier.
Now in his sixth NFL season, the running back played in 13 games and started five.
He rushed for a respectable 675 yards and three touchdowns while the team went 5-11.
Retirement
Atlanta became the talk of the league in 1991 when they came out of nowhere to win 10 games and advance to the divisional round before losing to the Washington Redksins.
Rozier mainly watched from afar, playing in 11 contests, but getting zero starts and finishing the year with 361 yards.
For the first time in his career, Rozier didn’t have any touchdowns.
When the season concluded, number 30 retired.
During his seven-year career, Rozier had 4,462 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground, and caught 90 passes for 715 yards and one touchdown through the air.
He was a two-time Pro Bowler.
Life Since Football
Five years after he retired from football, Rozier was at home in Camden, New Jersey, when he almost lost his life.
On November 6, 1996, he was hanging out with some friends when a man they knew from the neighborhood walked up and started shooting.
Rozier was hit by three bullets but was fortunate enough to live.
“If one of those bullets was just a little bit over and hit the artery next to my kidney, I’d be dead now,” Rozier told the Los Angeles Times.
Once he recovered from his injuries, Rozier returned to normal life, including a marriage to his wife, Rochelle, in 2005.
In 2013, the Heisman winner and his family appeared on the game show Family Feud.
Mike Rozier on Family Feud
(🎥 via @GoBigRedCast) pic.twitter.com/iENt75qRUB
— Huskers Pictures (@HuskersPictures) January 13, 2023
Rozier has also been involved in charity work with the March of Dimes and Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as crisscrossing the country for speaking engagements and autograph shows.
References
https://www.pro-football-reference.com
https://www.dailynebraskan.com
philadelphiasportshalloffame.org
https://footballfoundation.org
https://www.sports-reference.com
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