'Revenge of the Nerds' Actor and Former NFL Star Bernie Casey Dies at 78

Former NFL Star and Actor Bernie Casey, who appeared in the films “Never Say Never Again” and “Revenge of the Nerds” has died. He was 78.
Casey was a standout NFL wide receiver and also starred in “Cleopatra Jones” and many other “blaxploitation movies in the 70’s. The Actor died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a brief illness, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was born on June 8, 1939 in Wyco, West Virginia. He then grew up in Columbus, Ohio and attended Bowling Green while on a football scholarship. He then returned to the school several years later to complete a master’s in fine arts.

Years in the NFL

As a towering 6-foot-4 halfback and flanker, Casey led his team to the national 1959 “small college” championships. During an NFL draft in the early 60’s, he made the ninth overall pick for the San Francisco 49ers where he played six seasons from 1961 to 1966. Casey was quarterback John Brodie’s favorite receiver. During his final year with the team, Casey caught 12 passes for 225 yards in one game. He also spent two years with the Los Angeles Rams but retired abruptly before the 1969 season. He finished his NFL career with 359 catches for 5,444 yards and 40 whopping touchdowns.

Bernie Casey’s movie accomplishments

Bernie Casey has had a very memorable run in the world of film and TV. The former NFL star turned actor wrote, directed, starred and produced 1997’s “The Dinner,” where the story followed three black men who discussed black self-loathing, slavery, and homophobia among others—all while sitting around the dinner table.
In Martin Scorsese’s 1972 film “Boxcar Bertha,” Casey played a former slave and train robber. He also portrayed CIA Agent Felix Leiter (a common James Bond character in the movies) in 1983’s “Never Say Never Again.” But among his most prominent roles would be portraying the president of the Lambda Lambda Fraternity in 1984’s “Revenge of the Nerds.”
Apart from being a former athlete and an accomplished actor, Casey was also a published poet and painter whose work was seen by people in galleries around the world.