Bernie Casey

Bernard Terry Casey (June 8, 1939 – September 19, 2017) was an American professional football player and actor. He was a football player and All-American hurdler at Bowling Green State University, before playing professionally as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), first for the San Francisco 49ers and then the Los Angeles Rams. He made his acting debut in the Western film Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969). After retiring from football, he became a leading man and action hero in the burgeoning blaxploitation film genre of the 1970s. Casey played prominent roles in films like Brian's Song (1971), Boxcar Bertha (1972), Cleopatra Jones (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Sharky's Machine (1981), Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Spies Like Us (1985), and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989). He won an NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of basketball player Maurice Stokes in the biographical film Maurie (1973). He also played Felix Leiter in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983) and starred in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. In addition to acting and athletics, Casey was also a published poet and a painter.