Bernie Casey

Bernard Terry Casey (June 8, 1939 – September 19, 2017) He graduated from East High School in Columbus, Ohio. He then attended Bowling Green State University.

Casey was a record-breaking hurdler for Bowling Green State University and helped the 1959 football team win a small college national championship. Casey earned All-America recognition and a trip to the finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1960. In addition to national honors, he won three consecutive Mid-American Conference titles in the high-hurdles, 1958–60.

Professional football career Casey was the ninth overall selection in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft, taken by the San Francisco 49ers. He played eight NFL seasons (several positions, first five seasons mainly a halfback, last three seasons a flanker (setback wide receiver)): six with the 49ers and two with the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams defeated the Baltimore Colts the following week to win the Coastal Division title at 11–1–2.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Receiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 1961 SFO 12 2 10 185 18.5 51 1 1962 SFO 13 11 53 819 15.5 48 6 1963 SFO 14 14 47 762 16.2 68 7 1964 SFO 13 13 58 808 13.9 63 4 1965 SFO 14 14 59 765 13.0 59 8 1966 SFO 13 13 50 669 13.4 32 1 1967 RAM 14 14 53 871 16.4 57 8 1968 RAM 12 12 29 565 19.5 55 5 105 93 359 5,444 15.2 68 40

Playoffs Year Team Games Receiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 1967 RAM 1 1 5 82 16.4 29 1 1 1 5 82 16.4 29 1

Acting career Casey began his acting career in the film Guns of the Magnificent Seven, a sequel to The Magnificent Seven. Then he played opposite fellow former NFL star Jim Brown in the crime dramas ...tick...tick...tick... and Black Gunn. He played a leading role in the 1972 science fiction TV film Gargoyles. He also played Tamara Dobson's love interest in 1973's Cleopatra Jones.

From there he moved between performances on television and the big screen such as playing team captain for the Chicago Bears in the TV film Brian's Song. In 1979, he starred as widower Mike Harris in the NBC television series Harris and Company, the first weekly American TV drama series centered on a black family. In 1980, he played Major Jeff Spender in the television mini-series The Martian Chronicles, based on the novel by Ray Bradbury.

In 1981, Casey played a detective opposite Burt Reynolds in the feature film Sharky's Machine, directed by Reynolds. The two reunited a few years later for the crime story Rent-a-Cop.

In 1983, he played the role of CIA agent Felix Leiter in the non-Eon Productions James Bond film Never Say Never Again. He appeared in Revenge of the Nerds and had a comedic role as Colonel Rhombus in the John Landis film Spies Like Us. Casey also appeared in the film Hit Man.

Also during his career, he worked with such well-known directors as Martin Scorsese in his 1972 film Boxcar Bertha and appeared on such television series as The Streets of San Francisco.

He played a version of himself, and other football players turned actors, in Keenen Ivory Wayans's 1988 comedic film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. He played high school history teacher Mr. Ryan, in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, released in 1989. Casey appeared as a very influential prisoner with outside connections in Walter Hill's Another 48 Hrs.. In 1992, he appeared as a Naval officer on the battleship USS Missouri in Under Siege.

In 1994, Casey guest-starred in a two-episode story arc in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the Maquis leader Lieutenant Commander Cal Hudson, and in 1995 as a guest-star on both SeaQuest 2032 as Admiral VanAlden and Babylon 5 as Derek Cranston. In 2006, he co-starred in the film When I Find the Ocean alongside such actors as Lee Majors. His lasting acting role was in the low-budget horror film Vegas Vampires, directed by fellow football player-turned-blaxploitation icon Fred Williamson.

Personal life Casey enjoyed painting and writing poetry. Look at the People, a book of his paintings and poems, was published by Doubleday in 1969.

Death Casey died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on September 19, 2017, after a stroke.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1969 Guns of the Magnificent Seven Cassie 1970 ...tick...tick...tick... George Harley 1971 Black Chariot The Drifter 1972 Boxcar Bertha Von Morton Black Gunn Seth Hit Man Tyrone Tackett 1973 Cleopatra Jones Reuben Masters Maurie Maurice Stokes 1975 Cornbread, Earl and Me Officer Larry Atkins 1976 Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde Dr. Henry Pride The Man Who Fell to Earth Mr. Peters 1977 Brothers David Thomas 1981 Sharky's Machine Detective Arch Driscoll 1983 Never Say Never Again Felix Leiter 1984 Revenge of the Nerds U.N. Jefferson 1985 Spies Like Us Colonel Rhombus 1987 Steele Justice Detective Tom Reese Amazon Women on the Moon Major General Hadley Rent-A-Cop Lemar 1988 Backfire Clinton James I'm Gonna Git You Sucka John Slade 1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Mr. Ryan 1990 Another 48 Hrs. Kirkland Smith 1991 Chains of Gold Sergeant Falco 1992 Under Siege Commander Harris 1993 The Cemetery Club John Street Knight Raymond 1994 The Glass Shield James Locket 1995 In the Mouth of Madness Robinson Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored Mr. Walter 1997 The Dinner Good Brother 2001 Tomcats Officer Hurley 2002 Jim Brown: All-American Himself On the Edge Rex Stevens 2006 When I Find the Ocean Amos Jackson 2007 Vegas Vampires Bloodhound Bill Final film role

Television Year Title Role Notes 1971 Brian's Song J.C. Caroline Television film 1972 Cade's County Patrick Episode: "Slay Ride" Longstreet Ray Eller Episode: "Field of Honor" The Streets of San Francisco Richard Episode: "Timelock" Gargoyles The Gargoyle Television film 1974 The Snoop Sisters Willie Bates Episode: "Fear Is a Free-Throw" Panic on the 5:22 Wendell Weaver Television film 1975 Police Story Duke Windsor Episode: "Company Man" 1976 Joe Forrester Cleveland Episode: "The Answers" 1977 Police Woman P.J. Johnson Episode: "Once a Snitch" Police Story Hamilton Ward Episode: "The Six Foot Stretch" Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night Dave Williams Television film It Happened at Lakewood Manor Vince 1978 Ring of Passion Joe Louis Love Is Not Enough Mike Harris 1979 Roots: The Next Generations Bubba Haywood Miniseries Harris and Company Mike Harris 4 episodes 1980 The Martian Chronicles Major Jeff Spender Miniseries 1981 The Sophisticated Gents Shurley Walker 1982 A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion Slave Television film Trapper John, M.D. Thornie Thornberry Episode: "Love and Marriage" Hear No Evil Inspector MondayTelevision film 1983–1984 Bay City Blues Ozzie Peoples 8 episodes 1992Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next GenerationU.N. JeffersonTelevision film 1994 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Calvin Hudson Episode: "The Maquis"Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in LoveU.N. JeffersonTelevision film 1995 seaQuest 2032 Admiral Vanalden Episode: "Chains of Command" 1995 Babylon 5 Derek Cranston Episode: "Hunter, Prey" 2000Just Shoot Me!Himself1 episode 2005 Girlfriends Judge Edward Dent Episode: "Judging Edward"

Awards and nominations Award Year Category WorkResult NAACP Image Award 1974 Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Maurie