Bernie Casey, who helped save the nerds from the jocks, was actually an NFL star

Casey, who died at 78 on Wednesday, was a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft and an eventual Pro Bowler

Casey played eight NFL seasons before starring in Hollywood. Getty Images

When Bernie Casey passed away earlier this week at the age of 78, he was most remembered for his roles as an influential Hollywood actor. You might recognize him as U.N. Jefferson, head of the Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity in "Revenge of the Nerds" or as John Slade in another cult classic, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka".

However, Casey also boasted quite an athletic career before moving to the big screen. He attended Bowling Green University in the late '50s on a football scholarship. In addition to being a gridiron standout, Casey also broke school records as an All-American track and field athlete while also earning an invite to 1960 U.S. Olympic trials. 

Taking notice of his outstanding athleticism and competitive accolades, the San Francisco 49ers drafted Casey with the ninth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver went on to play eight seasons (six with the Niners and two with the Rams) and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1967. Casey retired from football at the age of 30 and finished his NFL career with 359 receptions, 5,444 yards and 40 touchdowns. 

After hanging up the cleats, Casey went on to not only carve out a career as an actor, but he also ventured into the world of art and poetry. In addition to his more well-known acting roles, he starred alongside fellow former NFLer Jim Brown in the films "…tick…tick…tick…" and "Black Gunn".