Actor and NFL player, Bernie Casey dies at 78

Actor and NFL player, Bernie Casey dies at 78

American actor and NFL player, Bernie Casey, the iconic co-star in “Revenge of the Nerds” and “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” has died in an L.A. hospital.

Casey died Tuesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, his talent agent, Erin Connor said. Bernie’s rep says he died peacefully Wednesday, surrounded by loved ones. He suddenly fell ill recently, and had spent the last few days hospitalized.

Born in West Virginia in 1939 and raised in Columbus, Ohio, the NFL star excelled in track and field and football and attended Bowling Green State University on an athletic scholarship and then went back to his alma mater to get a master’s degree in fine arts.

For Casey, the arts always came first. He painted and published books of poetry, but the football association that he viewed as a stepping stone followed him. His art, in particular, captivated many famous minds, including Maya Angelou.

Bernie was 78.