John Earl Roland was drafted by the St. Louis Football Cardinals in the fourth round (54th overall) of the National Football League draft and won the 1966 Rookie of the Year honors. Roland played running back and defensive back at the University of Missouri, where he won All-Big Eight Conference honors three times and selected as an All-America his final year. Roland played for seven seasons with the Big Red and became the franchise’s leading rusher before he left the team. He then went on to play for one season with the New York Giants. He went on to become an assistant coach for the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.
John Earl Roland was drafted by the St. Louis Football Cardinals in the fourth round (54th overall) of the National Football League draft and won the 1966 Rookie of the Year honors. Roland played running back and defensive back at the University of Missouri, where he won All-Big Eight Conference honors three times and selected as an All-America his final year. Roland played for seven seasons with the Big Red and became the franchise’s leading rusher before he left the team. He then went on to play for one season with the New York Giants. He went on to become an assistant coach for the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.