Rocky Rosema
- January 15, 2020
- 73 years
About Rocky Rosema
Rocky Rosema, 73, American football player (St. Louis Cardinals), dementia.
Explore other notable deaths in 2020 or deaths in January 2020.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Rocky Rosema?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Roger William "Rocky" Rosema (February 5, 1946 – January 15, 2020) was an American football player. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, he played high school football at Grand Rapids Central High School. He next played college football for the University of Michigan, principally as a defensive end and linebacker, from 1965 to 1967. He also played professional football as a linebacker for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1968 to 1971. In 2003, he was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, Rosema lost a lawsuit against the NFL Players Association alleging that he was owed pension benefits.
He died of dementia on January 15, 2020, in Grand Rapids, Michigan at age 73. He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Rocky Rosema on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Rosema
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Rocky Rosema's archived record and the sources above.
1.Against which organization did Roger William Rosema file a lawsuit in 2011?
- A.Grand Rapids City Council
- B.St. Louis Cardinals
- C.University of Michigan
- D.NFL Players Associationcorrect
In 2011, Roger William Rosema lost a lawsuit against the NFL Players Association regarding pension benefits.
Source: legal section
2.What was the reason behind the 2011 lawsuit filed by Roger William Rosema?
- A.Copyright of his likeness
- B.Alleged owed pension benefitscorrect
- C.Concussion medical expenses
- D.Contract breach from 1968
Roger William Rosema's 2011 lawsuit alleged that he was owed pension benefits.
Source: legal section
3.On what date did Roger William Rosema pass away?
- A.January 15, 2019
- B.January 15, 2020correct
- C.February 5, 2020
- D.February 5, 2019
Roger William Rosema died on January 15, 2020.
Source: death section
4.What was the cause of Roger William Rosema's death?
- A.Dementiacorrect
- B.Cancer
- C.Stroke
- D.Heart failure
Roger William Rosema died of dementia in 2020.
Source: death section
5.How old was Roger William Rosema when he passed away?
- A.73correct
- B.75
- C.77
- D.71
Roger William Rosema was 73 years old at the time of his death.
Source: death section
6.What condition was Roger William Rosema diagnosed with after his death?
- A.Parkinson's disease
- B.Chronic traumatic encephalopathycorrect
- C.Alzheimer's disease
- D.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Roger William Rosema was diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Source: legacy section
7.According to the text, what is the primary cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in NFL players?
- A.Genetic predisposition
- B.Nutritional deficiencies
- C.Age-related degeneration
- D.Repeated hits to the headcorrect
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is caused by repeated hits to the head.
Source: legacy section
8.In which city was Roger William Rosema born?
- A.Grand Rapids, Michigancorrect
- B.Detroit, Michigan
- C.Ann Arbor, Michigan
- D.St. Louis, Missouri
Roger William Rosema was a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Source: biography introduction
9.What is the birth date of Roger William Rosema?
- A.January 15, 1946
- B.February 5, 1946correct
- C.February 5, 1948
- D.January 15, 1950
Roger William Rosema was born on February 5, 1946.
Source: biography introduction
10.Which high school did Roger William Rosema attend?
- A.Grand Rapids South High School
- B.Grand Rapids Central High Schoolcorrect
- C.Grand Rapids West High School
- D.Grand Rapids North High School
Roger William Rosema played high school football at Grand Rapids Central High School.
Source: early life section
11.For which university did Roger William Rosema play college football?
- A.Michigan State University
- B.University of Michigancorrect
- C.University of Notre Dame
- D.Ohio State University
Roger William Rosema played college football for the University of Michigan.
Source: college career section
12.During which years did Roger William Rosema play at the University of Michigan?
- A.1965 to 1967correct
- B.1962 to 1965
- C.1968 to 1971
- D.1960 to 1963
Roger William Rosema played college football at the University of Michigan from 1965 to 1967.
Source: college career section
13.Which positions did Roger William Rosema play at the University of Michigan?
- A.Defensive end and linebackercorrect
- B.Running back and tight end
- C.Safety and cornerback
- D.Quarterback and wide receiver
Roger William Rosema played for the University of Michigan primarily as a defensive end and linebacker.
Source: college career section
14.For which professional football team did Roger William Rosema play?
- A.St. Louis Cardinalscorrect
- B.Green Bay Packers
- C.Chicago Bears
- D.Detroit Lions
Roger William Rosema played professional football as a linebacker for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Source: professional career section
15.During which years did Roger William Rosema play for the St. Louis Cardinals?
- A.1968 to 1971correct
- B.1966 to 1969
- C.1970 to 1973
- D.1965 to 1967
Roger William Rosema played professional football for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1968 to 1971.
Source: professional career section
16.In what year was Roger William Rosema inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame?
- A.2003correct
- B.2011
- C.2015
- D.2000
Roger William Rosema was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Source: awards section
Explore the archive
People who died on January 15
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Rocky Rosema →Advertisement
