Cliff Frazier, a 1976 Rose Bowl star and All-American Defensive Tackle at UCLA, embarked on a unique career path after playing one year in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs. Born on November 23, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, Frazier moved to Ballwin, Missouri, for high school, where he became a defensive prep football star.
Frazier's exceptional play earned him accolades as a junior college All-American defensive lineman in 1972 and 1973 while playing nose tackle at Fort Scott Community College. His outstanding performance caught the attention of new UCLA coach Dick Vermeil, who recruited Frazier to play defensive nose guard for the Bruins in the 1974-75 college seasons.
Frazier's impressive performance in his junior and senior years led to his selection as a first-team defense for the All-Pacific 8 and NCAA All-American teams in 1975. He was also a Tri-Captain of UCLA's Rose Bowl team in the 1975 college season, which famously defeated the previously unbeaten and top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the January 1, 1976, Rose Bowl, 23-10.
Frazier's teammates at UCLA included future NFL players Randy Cross and running backs Wendell Tyler and Theotis Brown. The 1976 NFL Draft saw Frazier selected as a second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, the 41st player picked overall. Although he did not appear in the 1976 NFL season, he played all 14 games for the Chiefs in 1977.
After Dick Vermeil became the Philadelphia Eagles head coach, Vermeil arranged for a trade to acquire Frazier from Kansas City for the Eagles' 5th round draft pick in the 1978 NFL draft. However, Frazier did not make the Eagles' roster and returned to southern California to start an acting career. He soon made his screen debut as "Monroe," one of the linemen in the football classic, "North Dallas Forty."
Frazier was inducted into Fort Scott Community College's "Athletic Hall of Fame" in 1990. In June 2006, he participated in UCLA's "Flashback Camp," where over 100 former UCLA players and coaches, many of whom were associated with the 1976 Rose Bowl team, coached UCLA Bruin fans on the finer points of football.
