Rocky is coming to The Rock.

Retired Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier will give a motivational speech at halftime of the North American Football League game between the host New Castle Thunder and Beaver County Warriors, Saturday at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium on the campus of Slippery Rock University.

Game time is 7 p.m.

"I'm only going to have maybe 15 minutes to deliver my message,"Bleier said. "Basically, I'll be talking about what it takes to succeed."

Bleier, 61, who ended his 18-year NFLcareer with the Steelers in 1980, has a two-fold career these days. He travels the country delivering nearly 100 motivational speeches each year. He owns a construction company as well.

His appearance in Slippery Rock will be a lot closer to his heart than most of his travels.

"First, it's a football game,"Bleier said. "Football is part of the fabric of our lives in Western Pennsylvania and I commend Anthony (Razzano, the Thunder's owner) for providing an avenue for people to play.

"Secondly, I know Anthony well. We've been friends for a long time, ever since he received the Courage to Comeback Award."

Bleier's name is attached to that annual award, which is presented through the St. Francis Health Foundation in Pittsburgh. Razzano was involved in a tragic fire at age 12 and suffered burns over 87 percent of his body.

He recovered, went on to play high school football at New Castle and is now a certified public accountant.

"He wasn't expected to live,"Bleier recalled. "He went through more than 30 operations and skin grafts. He's an incredible story."

Finally, Bleier will also be on hand Saturday night to honor the memory of Albert P. Gettings, a former New Castle resident and SRUstudent who was killed in Iraq in January of 2006.

Gettings, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, died while protecting a fellow fallen soldier from further injury. Bleier was seriously wounded in Vietnam when his platoon ran into an ambush.

"When they asked me to come out there and speak ... no way could I refuse,"Bleier said.

Bleier said everybody is always "wishing, wanting and hoping to be successful, but it takes work, dedication and commitment to make it happen.

"And the team aspect is always there. A high school kid may be truly motivated, but if he doesn't have the support of his school district, he won't succeed. Parents may do all the right things, but if the kid is rebellious, it won't work. We all have to work together."

Bleier said he recovered from his war injuries to play for the Steelers because he didn't want to have any regrets later in life.

"I grew up in a neighborhood bar,"he said. "A shot and a beer joint, where I ran into a lot of people with the would've, could've and should've stories.

"I didn't want to be a 'what if.' I had to try. And it worked out."

It worked out to the tune of four Super Bowl championships, a 1,000-yard rushing season and numerous awards for courage himself.

"We all have the power to make positive changes in our lives,"Bleier said. "But we need to have the belief in ourselves to do it."