1 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: Welcome back to playing dirty sports scandals. It's me Jay Harris, 2 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: a veteran ESPN sportscaster, and you're dedicated Barista, ready as 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: ever to serve up another chilling blend of talent and transgression. 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: Today's tale on Tap packs a devastating punch because we're 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: exploring the dark corners of a twisted and tragic saga. 6 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: The story of Robert Rosier life really is like blending juice. Sometimes, 7 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 1: just when you're trying to keep the lid on things, 8 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: everything explodes into an uncontainable mess. But while I can 9 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: wipe down this delicious disaster, no harm done. The same 10 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: certainty can't be said for Robert Rogier's shocking life trajectory, 11 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: which unraveled, leaving devastation and blood in its wake. So 12 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: who exactly is Robert Rosier? While Robert started his life 13 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: under the vast Alaskan skies of Anchorage on July twenty ninth, 14 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty five, but the expansiveness of his geography belied 15 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: the restrictions of his upbringing, which revolved around the discipline 16 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: cadence of his father's military routine. It wasn't long before 17 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: his dad, Robert senior, but known as Bob, received a 18 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: new posting and the family was uprooted from Alaska to California. 19 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: Robert Rosier seemed like he was made for California, after all. 20 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: He was a rising star his formative years at Cordova 21 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: High School in Rancho, Cordova, a part of the Sacramento 22 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: metropolitan area, painted a picture of a young man destined 23 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: for professional athletics. At six foot three and two hundred 24 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: and forty pounds, Robert slayd on the grid ee for 25 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: the Cordova Lancers and was celebrated as All League, All Conference, 26 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: All Northern California. He was also an incredible track and 27 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: field talent, and some of his high school feats included 28 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: a high jump of six feet seven inches, a vertical 29 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: leap of ten feet, sprinting the forty yard dash in 30 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: four point seven seconds, and bench pressing a formidable three 31 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy five pounds. Cordova High School's athletic department 32 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: likely couldn't believe its luck to have Robert Rogier on 33 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: its side, but Cordova High School's academic department was almost 34 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: certainly less than enthusiastic about the sport. Sea wonder kid. 35 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: For all his athletic abilities, Robert couldn't cut it academically. 36 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: He managed only a one point three to two GPA 37 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: and ultimately didn't graduate. Undeterred, Robert picked himself up and 38 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: headed to Gray's Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington. Here, Robert 39 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: continued to shine athletically. In fact, he was so impressive 40 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,399 Speaker 1: that he caught the eye of Mike White, the football 41 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: coach at the University of California Berkeley. Coach White asked 42 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: him to try out, and just like that, Robert Rosier, 43 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: who hadn't come close to passing high school, was now 44 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: representing one of the most prestigious public universities in the 45 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: United States on the gridiron. But even though this sounds 46 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: like a one hundred and eighty degree life turnaround for 47 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: Robert Rogier, the reality was that his move from Washington 48 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: back to California in the nineteen seventies put him smack 49 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: in the middle of some contentious historic events, and these 50 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: events would dangerously imprint on his impressionable young adult mind. 51 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: From battles over policing in America and marijuana usage to 52 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: apartheid in South Africa, the Berkeley community agitated denouncing racism 53 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: and gross misuse of power by authorities. Bear in mind 54 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: that the nineteen seventies opened with serious divisions within the 55 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: United States, sparked by the assassination of doctor Martin Luther 56 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,839 Speaker 1: King Junior in Memphis on April fourth, nineteen sixty eight. 57 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: This tension was compounded by the largely unfavored Vietnam War 58 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: raging in the early nineteen seventies, with protests sometimes turning violent. 59 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 1: For example, in the spring of nineteen seventy, the Ohio 60 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: National Guard shot and killed four protesters at Kent State University, 61 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: shocking the nation. When National guardsmen shot four arn armed 62 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: students at Kent State, virtually the entire system of higher 63 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: education shuddered and stopped, wrote Nancy Gibbs, an American essayist, 64 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: presidential historian, and former managing editor for Time Magazine, And 65 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: she was right. For protesters across the United States, the 66 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: Kent State massacre epitomized the sobering reality truly Americans were 67 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: in the midst of a war at home. It was 68 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: into this stalled and broken system, weighed down by racial 69 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: unrest and discord, that Robert Rogier kicked off his football 70 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: career as a defensive end at UC Berkeley. On the surface, 71 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: his time at university mirrored his high school experience. Robert 72 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: was a phenomenal football player, making waves on the gridiron 73 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: even of schools like Alabama, Nebraska, and USC dominated the 74 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: sports scene. Even though he wasn't playing for one of 75 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: these powerhouses, Robert Rosier was sufficiently strong to generate interest 76 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: from NFL scouts. UC Berkeley's team captain and Robert's roommate, 77 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: Ralph de Loach, described him straight up as the best 78 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: athlete on the team, and according to Ralph, it was 79 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:39,599 Speaker 1: remarkable that Robert's athletic prowess never faltered since he struggled 80 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: off the field with alleged drug use and traffic infractions. 81 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,239 Speaker 1: Robert also became increasingly political during his time at Berkeley, 82 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: as this was a period marked by a significant social 83 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: unrest and racial tensions, with frequent protests and clashes over 84 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: civil rights. Writer and civil rights activist James Balwin once 85 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: said that to be black and conscious in America is 86 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: to be in a constant state of rage, and within 87 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: Robert Rogier this rage was clearly brewing. That rage, no doubt, 88 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: also connected to his academic performance, which was once again 89 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: insufficient to graduate. Despite concerns about his personal behavior and 90 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: his continued academic failure, Robert Rosier was so talented on 91 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: the football field that the NFL would not be deterred. 92 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: The Saint Louis Cardinals, now the Arizona Cardinals, saw potential 93 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: in the young UC Berkeley athlete and drafted Robert in 94 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine in the ninth round with the two 95 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty eighth overall pick. Despite being chosen, this 96 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: may well have felt like yet another slight to the 97 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: impassioned Robert since being picked two hundred and twenty eight, 98 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: this hardly ideal. To put it into perspective, the best 99 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: college players get taken in the first and second round 100 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,679 Speaker 1: of the NFL draft teak. Typically those are the players 101 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: everyone believes will actually succeed in the league. When players 102 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: are picked up in the very late rounds, like Robert 103 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: Rogier was, it means that they're talented but might get 104 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: drafted only to be cut in training camp. Some of 105 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: these picks won't ever play it down in the NFL 106 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: when all is said and done. Of course, some teams 107 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: get a steal at these high rounds as well. Famously 108 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: the New England Patriots, selecting Tom Brady at pick number 109 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: one ninety nine. Robert Rogier entered the NFL without a 110 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: degree and against the odds in nineteen seventy nine, in 111 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: an era for the sport that reflected what was going 112 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: on in the country at large. In many ways, the 113 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: league was marked by fierce rivalries, iconic players, and evolving 114 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: strategies that were shaping the modern game. In fact, looking 115 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: back on it now, much of how the defense tackled 116 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: then would be in blatant violation of the rules today. 117 00:07:55,920 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: Football equipment also wasn't nearly as protective and sophisticated as 118 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: it is now, not by a long shot. This was 119 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: truly the time of smash mouth football, and the players 120 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: had to be incredibly tough. It was common to see 121 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: bloody NFL uniforms in the nineteen seventies and nineteen eighties, 122 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: and someone weighing in at two hundred and forty pounds 123 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: like Robert Rosier, with his speed and explosive capability, was 124 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: almost certainly intimidating coming at the smaller runners and quarterbacks. 125 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: It was a good time to be a defensive lineman 126 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: like Robert Rosier, who could pressure the quarterback and disrupt 127 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: evolving offenses. Notably, between nineteen sixty eight and nineteen seventy five, 128 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: San Francisco forty nine Ers coach Bill Walsh pioneered and 129 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: perfected what's called the West Coast offense, which emphasized short, 130 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: horizontal passing routes as an extension of the running game. 131 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: This innovative approach revolutionized offensive play throughout the NFL and 132 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: made Robert Rogier's defensive position on the field indispensable. But 133 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: while Robert was in an optimal position for nineteen seventy nine, 134 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:04,079 Speaker 1: the team he'd been drafted into had some serious performance issues. 135 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: The Saint Louis Cardinals, led by coach Bud Wilkinson, had 136 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: ended the previous nineteen seventy eight season with a crushing 137 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: six to ten record. Would Robert Rogier's addition to the team, 138 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: him taking the field wearing jersey number seventy five, make 139 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: enough of a difference to turn the Cardinals luck around? 140 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: In a word, no. Robert played in six games for 141 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: the Saint Louis Cardinals, never starting in a game, and, 142 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 1: according to Gridiron Heroics, was allegedly let go due to 143 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: problematic behaviors. Before completing the season. There's no definitive insight 144 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: as to what those objectionable behaviors were, as very few 145 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: of Robert's former teammates have spoken about him publicly, but 146 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: people pill claims he was pink slipped by the Cardinals 147 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 1: for offenses involving drugs. In any event, Robert Rogier was 148 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: cut loose and in need of work, so he took 149 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: his talents north to the Canadian Football League in nineteen eighty, 150 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: suiting up for teams like the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 151 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: the Saskatchewan Roughriders. But again, Robert's time in Canada was 152 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: riddled with problems. This time his dirty playing involved financial 153 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: fraud rather than drugs, with Robert writing twenty to thirty 154 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: thousand dollars worth of bad checks. Keep in mind that 155 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: back in the early nineteen eighties, checks used to be 156 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: a main form of payment before credit cards became the 157 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: standard in the early two thousands, and most checks for regular, 158 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 1: everyday purchases weren't verified on site. The account information was 159 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: read off the check provided, and then the store reached 160 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: out to the bank. This process often took several days, 161 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: which is why people use check books to keep track 162 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: of their account balances. The delays involved with cashing checks 163 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: made it relatively easy to bounce them, although not typically 164 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 1: for five figures like Robert Rogier did. His reckless behavior 165 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: led to a staggering thirty two warrants for fraud issued 166 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: against him by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In November 167 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty six, after leaving the Canadian Football League under 168 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: a cloud of criminality, Robert Rogier managed to return to 169 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: the NFL yet again, signing with the Oakland Raiders. The 170 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: Oakland Raiders were known as the bad Boys of the NFL. 171 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: According to the Bleacher Report from the notoriously mean nineteen 172 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: eighty three Raiders player Lyle Alzado, who once said, if 173 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: me and King Kong went into the alley, only one 174 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: of us would come out, and it wouldn't be the monkey. 175 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: To safety George Atkinson who violently smashed Pittsburgh Steelers player 176 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: Lynn Swan with a brutal and concussion inducing hit to 177 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: the head, the Oakland Raiders were widely viewed as thugs, 178 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: talented thugs, but thugs. Nonetheless, given Robert Rogier's storied history, 179 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: his pick up by the Oakland Raiders seemed to sync 180 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: with his career trajectory and represented what was almost certainly 181 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: his last chance in the NFL. The Raiders franchise had 182 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: a reputation for rehabilitating difficult players, to the guidance of 183 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: owner Al Davis and a coaching staff experienced in managing 184 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: diverse personalities. This was likely by design, since al Davis 185 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: himself was anything but easy. He thrived on conflict, and 186 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: his team picks reflected that. According to Sports Illustrated reporter 187 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,839 Speaker 1: John Wertheim, al Davis was an acquired taste, even as 188 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: loyalists today choose their words with a pain precision when 189 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: discussing his personality. Difficult genius is a phrase in common rotation. 190 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: Some go further, like Frank Hawkins, a top NFL executive 191 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: in the nineties, and the two thousands who said Al 192 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: was prickly, which can be shortened to prick and I'm 193 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: one of the ones who liked Al. So if any 194 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: team could change Robert Rogier's journey for the better, many 195 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: people were betting it was Al Davis's Oakland Raiders. It 196 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: was literally part of the team's strategy to give second 197 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: chances to talented players who had struggled with personal and 198 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: professional issues. Else square, but Robert Rogier just couldn't get 199 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: his act together again. His time with the Raiders, like 200 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: everywhere else, was short lived. He failed to make a 201 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: significant impact on the gridiron, and within just two weeks, 202 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: Robert found himself released from the team. And since the 203 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: Oakland Raiders was largely considered the last chance saloon for 204 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: difficult players, his dismissal effectively marked the end of his 205 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: professional football career. After all, if the Raiders had found 206 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,839 Speaker 1: Robert's challenges too great to overcome, who else would dare 207 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 1: to take him on? Now? Robert Rosier, who already identified 208 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 1: strongly as a twice failed student and oppressed black man 209 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: in America and a misdemeanor criminal, had lost the purpose 210 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: he spent his youth and adult life pursuing football was 211 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: a closed door, and Robert Rosier's future looked bleaker than ever. 212 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 1: It was the Greek philosopher Aristotle who said, it is 213 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: during our darkest moments that we must focus to see 214 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: the light. And for many people the allure of structured 215 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: religion in difficult times is a great comfort and buoys 216 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 1: them to future success. But for Robert Rosier, structured faith 217 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: was destined to be his inglorious downfall. After his stint 218 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 1: with the Oakland Raiders, Robert Rosier took off to Miami 219 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: for a new start, but he kept falling into a deeper, 220 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: darker pit, and at the bottom of the pit, a 221 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: serpent lay in wait for him. Yahweh Ben Yahweh. Long 222 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: before meeting Robert Rogier in nineteen eighty two, Yahweh ben 223 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: Yahweh had carved his own, darkened, tumultuous path. Born with 224 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: the name Hulan Mitchell Junior on October twenty seventh, nineteen 225 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: thirty five, he was one of fifteen children born to 226 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: deeply religious parents, Helon Mitchell Senior, who served as the 227 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: minister of the Antioch Church of God in Christ and 228 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: En at Oklahoma, and Pearl O. Mitchell, who accompanied the 229 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: congregation as a pianist. After an early life marked by 230 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: strong religious influences, Helon Mitchell Junior's path took him far 231 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: beyond Oklahoma when he joined the military. His time in 232 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: the military expanded his horizons and tested his spiritual convictions. 233 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: When Heulon came out of the service, he briefly pursued 234 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: legal studies at the University of Oklahoma, a choice that 235 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: hinted at his interest in systems of authority and governance, 236 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: but he did not graduate from law school and instead 237 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: moved to Atlanta in the nineteen sixties, where his trajectory 238 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: would be forever changed when he joined the Nation of Islam. 239 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: The Nation of Islam is a black nationalist organization which 240 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: focuses on the African diaspora, and especially on African Americans. 241 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: While the organization describes itself as Islamic, its religious tenets 242 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: differ from mainstream Islamic traditions. In fact, the Nation of 243 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: Islam teaches that there has been a succession of mortal gods, 244 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: each a black man named Allah, of whom far Muhammad 245 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: is the most recent. Believers claim that a scientist named 246 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: Yakub created the lesser white race, which is why, according 247 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: to the Nation of Islam, white's lack inner divinity, are 248 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: intrinsically violent and have achieved global dominance through brutality. In 249 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: other words, the Nation of Islam sets itself up in 250 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: direct opposition to the white dominated society of the United 251 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: States and campaigns for the creation of an independent African 252 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: American nation state. Nation of Islam followers think that Fard 253 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: Muhammad will soon return aboard a spaceship, the Mother Plane, 254 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: to wipe out the white race and establish a black utopia. 255 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: As with all religions, the Nation of Islam is controversial. 256 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the Nation of 257 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: Islam as a hate group, while its members lawed the 258 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: organization for cleaning up crumbling black neighborhoods and promoting self 259 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: help and discipline for the young. Helon mitchell junior membership 260 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: in the Nation of Islam provided an opportunity to immerse 261 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: himself in Black nationalism and religious firms. Undeniably, his time 262 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,120 Speaker 1: as part of the Nation of Islam flock shaped his beliefs. 263 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,719 Speaker 1: But as the nineteen sixties drew on, Helon decided to 264 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: redirect his spiritual quest towards Christianity, with a particular emphasis 265 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: on faith healing. He broke with the Nation of Islam 266 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 1: and reinvented himself as Father Mitchell. Using the moniker Father Mitchell, 267 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 1: Heulon positioned himself as a charismatic and controversial faith leader, 268 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 1: like Father Divine and Samuel Father Jehoviah Morris. Both of 269 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: these men were prominent African American ministers known for their 270 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: claims of divinity they touted that they were literally the 271 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: conduit between God and their congregations. By the time Helon 272 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:43,719 Speaker 1: Mitchell Junior arrived in Miami in nineteen seventy eight, he 273 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: was fired up and ready to establish his own congregation. 274 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: His most influential and notorious chapter had begun, drawing members 275 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: from the city's Black Hebrew Israelite congregations. Helon founded the 276 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: Nation of Yahweh and renamed himself yet again. Long longer 277 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,919 Speaker 1: would he go by Father Mitchell. From now on he 278 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:07,120 Speaker 1: will be called Yahweh ben Yahweh, which means God, Son 279 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 1: of God. Yahweh envisioned himself as a messianic figure, promising 280 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: salvation and unity to his followers. The Nation of Yahweh's 281 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: doctrine emphasized the belief that God and all the prophets 282 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: of the Bible were black, and the Blacks would gain 283 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: the knowledge of their true history through him. Yahweh ben 284 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: Yahweh characterized Whites and Jews as infidels and oppressors, stressing 285 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: that his followers must be loyal to him and the 286 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: beliefs he eschewed since he was the son of God. 287 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: Praise Yahweh. He declared, You've got to love me. If 288 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: you don't love me, you're a lying hypocrite. You're a 289 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: snake if you don't love me. Despite his fierce rhetoric 290 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: at the outset, Yahweh Ben Yahweh achieved significant respect in 291 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: many Florida communities. His business and charity efforts, which included 292 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:00,960 Speaker 1: buying and renovating dilapidated properties to improve life conditions in 293 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 1: poor neighborhoods, was so notable that then Miami Mayor Xavier 294 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: Suarez established Yahweh Bin Yahweh Day on October seventh, nineteen ninety, 295 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: promising empowerment and spiritual salvation to the African American community. 296 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: Yahweh Bin Yahweh quickly gathered a significant following. To understand 297 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: why the allure of the nation of Yahweh was so powerful, 298 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,239 Speaker 1: it's important to consider what was happening in Miami at 299 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: this time. Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance agent, had been 300 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: beaten to death by police officers following a high speed 301 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 1: chase in December nineteen seventy nine. The incident took place 302 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 1: after Arthur McDuffie allegedly ran a red light on his motorcycle. 303 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: The chase led to a brutal altercation where Arthur was 304 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: severely beaten by the officers, resulting in his death a 305 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: few days later on December twenty one, nineteen seventy nine. 306 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: This horrifying event, made more unbearable by the subsequent acqui 307 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: of the officers involved in Arthur McDuffie's death in May 308 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty, sparked significant public outrage and led to a 309 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: series of violent riots in Miami. This riotous environment, fueled 310 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: by heightened racial tension and disillusionment, provided fertile ground for 311 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: figures like Yahweh ben Yahweh to rise to prominence amongst 312 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: the distressed African American population of Miami. But sadly, the 313 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: option Yahweh ben Yahweh provided was a facade. His teachings, 314 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: which started as his interpretations of Biblical texts emphasizing black 315 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 1: superiority and racial unity, soon veered into controlling and violent practices. 316 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: Inside the Temple where Yahweh ben yahwe preached, a facility 317 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: at twenty seven to sixty six Northwest sixty second Street 318 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: called the Temple of Love, a doctrine of devotion had 319 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: turned dangerous. By December nineteen eighty, members of the Nation 320 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 1: of Yahweh, believing they were led by a divine figure, 321 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 1: found themselves ensnared in unthinkable acts due to severe intimidation 322 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: and violence. Living within the Temple of Love facility, members 323 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 1: of the Nation of Yahweh soon came to realize that 324 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: their leader demanded absolute devotion from his followers. This is, 325 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: of course typical of cults, and the end result is 326 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: almost always utter devastation. I felt cheated out of my 327 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: children's lives, one former member of the Nation of Yahweh lamented, 328 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 1: reflecting on the deep personal sacrifices made in the name 329 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: of faith. In the Temple of Love. Followers clad and 330 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 1: white lived communally, adhering strictly to Yahweh Ben Yahweh's teachings 331 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:46,360 Speaker 1: and often brutal directives. The men in Yahweh ben Yahweh's 332 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:49,920 Speaker 1: congregation were not only required to serve in his security detail, 333 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 1: but also had to participate in enforcing discipline within the group. 334 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: A select group of ten was chosen to be his 335 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 1: personal bodyguards, armed with stainless steel masts, symbolizing the underlying 336 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: threat of violence that pervaded the so called Temple of Love. 337 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: In a particularly disturbing display of power, yahwe Ben Yahweh 338 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: once lined up all the men and demanded they dropped 339 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: their pants. He wanted to see who was circumcised and 340 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: who was not, recounted Khalil Amani, a former member of 341 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: the nation of Yahweh who escaped and has since moved 342 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 1: to Denver. For those who were not circumcised, Yahweh ben 343 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 1: Yahweh took it upon himself to perform the circumcisions, asserting 344 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: his dominion in the most intimate and invasive way possible. Reportedly, 345 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: he brutally circumcised the men with a machette. This savage 346 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 1: imposition of control reflected a deeper descent into autocracy, with 347 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: the men's compliance underscoring their complete submission to Yahweh ben 348 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 1: Yahweh's increasingly despotic rule. The shift from a supportive religious 349 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 1: community to a regimo mented an oppressive cult was stark, 350 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: marking a significant transformation under Yahweh ben Yahweh's leadership, where 351 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 1: the early promises of empowerment and redemption were gradually replaced 352 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: by exploitation and fear. This exploitation extended to financial extortion 353 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: from followers who were sent into the streets with a 354 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: mandate to collect ten dollars daily. Failing to meet this 355 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 1: quota had severe repercussions. If they failed, they were brought 356 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: into a cafeteria that came to be known as the 357 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: Room of Understanding. Former Nation of Yahweh member Khalil Amani 358 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:39,880 Speaker 1: told People magazine the punishment for non compliance was harsh 359 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 1: and humiliating. Basically, you're on a concrete floor with a 360 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,159 Speaker 1: thin layer of carpet, Khalil explained. You were made to 361 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: kneel down on your knees and keep your back straight 362 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: for four or five hours in that room. There were 363 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 1: also guards with sticks that made sure you stayed like 364 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: you were supposed to. According to The New York Times, 365 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: the followers were also tasked with raising funds by selling 366 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,120 Speaker 1: various products branded by Yahweh himself, including beverages and beauty items. 367 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: The revenue generated from these sales and member contributions was 368 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: then channeled into acquiring real estate assets like apartment complexes, hotels, 369 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: and grocery stores, which were reportedly worth nine million dollars 370 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 1: by nineteen ninety. Rick Ross, a renowned expert on cult behaviors, 371 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 1: characterizes the evolution of Yahweh Ben Yahweh's organization as a 372 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: classic case. He explained, these cults operate on a bait 373 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: and switch tactic. They attract people with promises of empowerment 374 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: and community service, but the reality behind closed doors is 375 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: one of extreme violence and strict control. They prey on vulnerabilities, 376 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: drawing in those most in need of hope, and then 377 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: ensnaring them in a web of manipulation. This manipulative environment 378 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 1: became painfully personal for former member Khalil Amani, who discovered 379 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: that his wife was sexually abused within the confines of 380 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,439 Speaker 1: the Temple of Love. Khalil learned about a so called 381 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: midwife class that was happening within the communal living facility. 382 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: It was a weekly secretive meeting led by yahwe Ben Yahweh. 383 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: In these sessions, female members were subjected to genital examinations 384 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:29,440 Speaker 1: and bizarre rituals under the guise of prenatal care, which 385 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: disturbingly included oral genital contact as a supposed life saving 386 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: measure for unborn children. Khalil later discovered that these exploitative 387 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: practices extended to full on coercive sexual intercourse encounters, with 388 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: Yahweh Ben Yahweh asking women if they would accept the 389 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,959 Speaker 1: King's seed Khalil found out that yahwe Ben Yahweh had 390 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,479 Speaker 1: been sexually involved with his wife, among many others, and 391 00:25:55,560 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: this portrayal was devastating. It underscored the profound corruption and 392 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: moral decay at the heart of the cult, a far 393 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 1: cry from the community upliftment and spiritual salvation once promised. 394 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: As the nation of Yahweh's facade of community improvement fell away, 395 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:16,360 Speaker 1: what remained was a cult that exploited its members physically, emotionally, 396 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: and financially. Yet Yahweh Ben Yahweh's charisma and authoritative leadership 397 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: mesmerized many, and especially the vulnerable and the lost, like 398 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: former NFL player Robert Rosier, who it seemed had been 399 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: searching for something his whole life. So what happened when 400 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: Robert Rosier met Yahweh Ben Yahweh in nineteen eighty two. 401 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: Tune in next week for another episode of Playing Dirty 402 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: Sports Scandals were I Jay Harris will serve up the 403 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:59,359 Speaker 1: bloodiest brew to date. Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a 404 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never Ever Productions and Workhouse 405 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: Media from executive producers Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, 406 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 1: Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary, Hosted by Jay Harris, Written 407 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and 408 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:18,640 Speaker 1: Jennifer Clay.