8-16-2024 11:18am

TU Icon Bielski

TOWSON, Md. – Randy Bielski, a former Towson University All-American who was the first Tiger football player ever drafted by a NFL team, died suddenly this past Friday while on vacation with his family at their Ocean City beach home. The Lutherville resident was 67-years-old.

"It was very sudden," says Randy's brother, Ricky. "He fell ill Friday morning and about 10 hours later he passed away. All four of his children and his wife, Joelle, were with him."

Both Randy and Ricky were mainstays and helped to build a football program still in its infancy when the two Dulaney High School graduates joined the Tigers in the mid-70's.

"I recall when we recruited Ricky and Randy, and along with Dan Dullea (All-American quarterback) out of Loyola High School, it gave our program a lot of credibility," says former Tiger player and coach, Gordy Combs. "Everyone locally knew how good those guys were. Their presence gave us a huge lift in recruiting local players."

Growing up the two boys watched their father, Dick Bielski, an All-American fullback at Maryland, make his way through the NFL as a player and a coach. As the ninth player taken in the 1955 draft, dad played five years with the Philadelphia Eagles and two years with the expansion Dallas Cowboys before returning home to Baltimore where he closed out his playing career with the Colts as a tight end and kicker. He later joined the Colts' coaching staff.

At Dulaney High School Randy was a mirror image of his father as a running back and kicker. When he arrived at Towson head coach Phil Albert moved him to free safety but he retained his position as a kicker. He became a starter in his sophomore year. For the ensuing three seasons Towson records tumbled.

Randy left Towson as the Tigers' all-time leader in tackles (288), scoring (169) and interceptions (13). He still holds the program's single game record of 24 tackles he set 47 years ago in a game against Ithaca when the Bombers ran the ball 71 times. That mark ties for the oldest defensive record in Tiger Football history. He accomplished all this in just three years of varsity football. He was a two-time All-American (1st team Kodak, 2nd team Associated Press). In 1980 he became the first Tiger to be drafted by the NFL when the Baltimore Colts selected him as a placekicker in the 12th round (311th overall). He remains one of only six Tigers to be drafted.

"Randy was an exceptionally intelligent football player," Coach Combs says. "Although he was a free safety he knew when to move up and get involved against the run but he never got beat deep. No one got behind him."

In 2023 Randy was inducted into Towson's Athletics Hall of Fame. In his remarks, he said, "I attribute a lot of that success to sitting down and watching those 8mm films with my father as he ran them forwards and backwards. He taught me a lot about tendencies and things to look for. That information proved to be very helpful during my playing career."

Randy was eventually let go by the Colts but not before hitting a field goal in a preseason game. However, before launching his successful business career he competed in the 1981 FIBT World bobsledding championships in Cortina, Italy, on United States No. 1 sled. During the third heat the sled overturned at the final banked curve. The driver suffered a fatal injury, ending the group's bid for a medal.

Once back home the Bielskis, embarked on a successful career as restauranteurs. Along with several other partners the group opened three Charles Village Pubs with the most notable located on West Pennsylvania Avenue in Towson. After a pizzeria and 11 Bagel Works stores the brothers purchased Ocean Pride Seafood Restaurant in 2004, where they once held part-time jobs steaming crabs while attending school. Today, the Lutherville establishment is arguably one of the premier restaurants for seafood and Maryland steamed crabs in the greater Baltimore metropolitan area.

Randy is survived by his wife, Joelle, son Randy, Jr. (Catharine), and daughters Kathryn (Hans) Merson, Jessica (Gabe) Barnett and Rebecca (Ryan) Williams, sisters Debra Bielski and Jody Bielski and his brother, Ricky in addition to 10 grandchildren. Randy was predeceased by a daughter Mary Rose, a son Robert Henry and parents Richard and Johan Bielski.