Following an All-American stay at USC, defensive end/linebacker Tim Rossovich was taken 14th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1968.
Rossovich went on to play seven NFL seasons, which included a Pro Bowl selection in 1969, before moving on to Hollywood as a stuntman and recognizable actor often as a villainous tough guy.
Rossovich died Thursday in Sacramento. He was 72.
USC, where Rossovich played from 1965-67, announced his death after a long illness on Friday.
Following a Trojans tenure which saw Rossovich appear in a pair of Rose Bowls and co-captain a squad that won the 1967 national title, he was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
He played in 88 NFL games with 61 starts that saw 10 fumble recoveries and three interceptions.
As an actor he had 50 credits, according to IMDB.com, from 1978 to 1998, often as a heavy with a menacing look and a trademark thick mustache. He made appearances in a slew of well-known television shows such as Soap, Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, The A-Team and Magnum, P.I., while also showing up in movies such as Night Shift, The Sting II and Cloak & Dagger.
Born March 14, 1946 in Palo Alto, Ca., he played high school ball at St. Francis in Mountain View, Calif.
His younger brother Rick was also an actor, likely most known for his role as "Slider" in Top Gun. Along with Rick, Tim Rossovich is survived by his wife Lauren, daughter Jaime, father Frank and two sisters, according to the Eagles website.