Tim Rossovich
American football player and actor (1946–2018)
title: "Tim Rossovich" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1946-births", "2018-deaths", "male-actors-from-palo-alto,-california", "players-of-american-football-from-palo-alto,-california", "all-american-college-football-players", "american-male-film-actors", "american-male-television-actors", "eastern-conference-pro-bowl-players", "philadelphia-eagles-players", "usc-trojans-football-players", "saint-francis-high-school-(mountain-view,-california)-alumni"] description: "American football player and actor (1946–2018)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Rossovich" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American football player and actor (1946–2018) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox gridiron football biography"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Tim Rossovich |
| number | 82, 88, 58 |
| position | Linebacker |
| position_2 | Defensive end |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Grass Valley, California, U.S. |
| height_ft | 6 |
| height_in | 4 |
| weight_lb | 240 |
| high_school | Saint Francis |
| (Mountain View, California) | |
| college | USC (1964-1967) |
| draftyear | 1968 |
| draftround | 1 |
| draftpick | 14 |
| statlabel1 | Fumble recoveries |
| statvalue1 | 10 |
| statlabel2 | Interceptions |
| statvalue2 | 3 |
| statlabel3 | Sacks |
| statvalue3 | 14.5 |
| pfr | RossTi00 |
| :: |
| name = Tim Rossovich | number = 82, 88, 58 | position = Linebacker | position_2 = Defensive end | birth_date = | birth_place = Palo Alto, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Grass Valley, California, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lb = 240 | high_school = Saint Francis (Mountain View, California) | college = USC (1964-1967) | draftyear = 1968 | draftround = 1 | draftpick = 14 |pastteams =
- Philadelphia Eagles ()
- San Diego Chargers ()
- Philadelphia Bell (1974-1975)
- Houston Oilers () | highlights =
- Pro Bowl (1969)
- National champion (1967)
- Consensus All-American (1967)
- 2× First-team All-Pac-8 (1965, 1967)
- Second-team All-Pac-8 (1966) | statlabel1 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue1 = 10 | statlabel2 = Interceptions | statvalue2 = 3 | statlabel3 = Sacks | statvalue3 = 14.5 | pfr = RossTi00
Timothy John Rossovich (March 14, 1946 – December 6, 2018) was an American professional football linebacker and a television and movie actor, active from 1977 to 1998. He was the brother of actor Rick Rossovich.
Biography
Rossovich was born in Palo Alto, California. Tim is ranked 20th on the list of "greatest high school defensive football players of all time". After graduating high school, he turned down a pitching position with the Pittsburgh Pirates because he wanted to play in the NFL one day. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was one of five USC Trojans players taken in the first round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft after his senior year. Rossovich played for the National Football League Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers, and Houston Oilers between 1968 and 1976. He played in the Pro Bowl in 1969.
In March 1974, he was selected by the Philadelphia Bell in the first round (3rd overall) of the 1974 WFL pro draft. He opted to sign with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League, where he played until the league folded midway through the 1975 season.
In 1977, Rossovich appeared in the episode "The Shortest Yard" of the ABC situation comedy The San Pedro Beach Bums. He played Detective Noodles in the Cheech and Chong 1981 comedy Nice Dreams alongside Peter Jason. He also appeared in the 1982 movie Night Shift as one of Shelley Long's prostitute character's johns. The movie also starred Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton.
Rossovich died due to respiratory arrest on December 6, 2018, in Grass Valley, California.
Filmography
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Charlie's Angels | Taylor | |
| 1979 | Charlie's Angels | Terrence | |
| 1979 | The Main Event | Cannibal | |
| 1980 | The Ninth Configuration | Biker | Uncredited |
| 1980 | The Long Riders | Pitts | |
| 1981 | Nice Dreams | Detective Noodles | |
| 1981 | Looker | Moustache Man | |
| 1982 | Knight Rider | Butch | "The Final Verdict" |
| 1982 | Night Shift | Luke | |
| 1982 | Fake-Out | Hit Man #1 | |
| 1982 | Hart to Hart | Larry | |
| 1983 | Hart to Hart | Jack Burke | |
| 1983 | The A-Team | Milt / Boyle | |
| 1983 | The Sting II | 'Typhoon' Taylor | |
| 1984 | Cloak & Dagger | Haverman | |
| 1984 | Knight Rider | Bloodworth | "Knights of the Fast Lane" |
| 1985 | Avenging Angel | Teddy Butts | |
| 1985 | Stick | Cecil | |
| 1986 | MacGyver | Political prisoner | Season 1 Episode 21 "Prisoner of Conscience" |
| 1988 | Johnny Be Good | Gas Attendant | |
| 1988 | Magnum P.I. | Hank | Season 8 Episode 13 "Resolutions, Part 2" |
| 1990 | Secret Agent OO Soul | Tall Man | |
| 1990 | MacGyver | Novis Reilly | Season 6 Episode 11 "Squeeze Play" |
| 1991 | Fists of Steel | Captain Jokish | |
| 1991 | Baywatch | Larry Veron | Season 2 Episode 12 "Reunion" |
| :: |
References
References
- "Tim Rossovich, actor and former NFL player, dies at 72".
- (December 7, 2018). "Tim Rossovich, USC and Philadelphia Eagles Star Turned Actor, Dies at 72".
- Askel, Kevin. (2018-12-06). "Top 50 high school football defensive players of all time - MaxPreps".
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