Five touring NFL stars draw SRO crowds in Korea

Pfc. Gary Rundell of 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry is given a football book by Ray Mansfield, Tom Mack and Rocky Bleier during a drawing at Camp Greaves, near the Korean DMZ.
By Mike Rush | Stars and Stripes March 19, 1975
SEOUL — A squad of five National Football League (NFL) players, including two from the 1975 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, wound up a four-day visit in Korea Saturday after spending time with U.S. Army and Air Force units here.
In this year's annual USO-sponsored visit by NFL players to overseas units were Rocky Bleier, running back and Ray Mansfield, center, both from the world champion Steelers; Carl Eller, Minnesota Vikings defensive end; Tom Mack, Los Angeles Rams guard, and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Ahmad Rashad.
Bill Granholm, special assistant to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, was in charge of the players' trip again this year, marking his seventh consecutive annual overseas visit to U. S. units.
While in Korea the players showed films highlighting their individual 1974 careers and of Super Bowl IX that saw the Steelers take their first NFL championship Jan. 12 against the Vikings 16-6.
The players visited troops of the 1/31st Inf., 2nd Inf. Div. Wednesday at Camp Greaves, just south of the Demilitarized Zone. They also visited I Corps (ROK/U.S.) Group soldiers at Camp Red Cloud. They made stops at Yongsan Garrison, Camp Humphreys and Osan AB before leaving for Japan Saturday.
At each stop the players were mobbed for autographs and team souvenirs. After each film presentation, the players answered questions about their own careers, the past season, rule changes in the NFL and the World Football League among other topics.
The rap sessions were often sent into overtime as standing-room-only crowds in theaters, recreation centers and clubs kept up a constant fire of questions for the players and Granholm.
Most commonly asked question was the plight of the financially weak WFL.
The men also exchanged anecdotes and quips with each other. Bleier, the only Vietnam veteran in the NFL, felt completely at home with the military audiences here. Most prevalent in everyone's minds was the story of Rocky's comeback struggle from injuries he suffered while with the 196th Light Inf. Bde., of the Americal Div. in Vietnam.
Bleier, who attended Notre Dame and was captain of Ara Parseghian's Irish in 1968, was wounded and medevaced out of Southeast Asia in August, 1969. With severe foot and leg wounds, he faced the prospect of never walking again.
The group left Korea Saturday for visits with U.S. troops at bases in Japan and later on in the Philippines.