Brock Olivo
A special teams ace whose relentless hustle on NFL kickoffs defined his playing career before he carved a path as a dedicated football coach.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American football player and coach·Birthday: June 24·Generation X
Biography
Brock Olivo's football story is one of maximum effort. At the University of Missouri, he wasn't just a running back; he was a tornado of effort, becoming the school's all-time leading rusher through pure will. The Detroit Lions drafted him in 1998, but in the pros, his identity shifted. He became a core special teams player, a gunner flying down the field on coverage units with a fearlessness that made him a fan favorite. His four seasons in Detroit were defined by those tackles in the open field. After his NFL stint, his passion for the game took him to Italy, where he played and later began his coaching career. Olivo worked his way up from the collegiate level at Washington University to the USFL, and finally back to the NFL as an assistant special teams coach. His journey is a classic football archetype: the player whose intelligence and grit outlasted pure athleticism, leading him to teach the next generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brock was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brock Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Brock's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played four seasons as a running back and special teams standout for the Detroit Lions in the NFL (1998-2001).
- Finished his collegiate career as the University of Missouri's all-time leading rusher, a record he held for years.
- Served as the head coach of the Italian Football League's Milano Seamen after his playing career ended.
- Earned positions as an assistant coach in the USFL and later the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
Did You Know?
He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in his senior year at Missouri in 1997.
He was known for his long hair and intense playing style, earning the nickname 'The Rock' in college.
After his playing days, he worked as a sports commentator for Italian television.
“Special teams is a mindset; you win it with want-to.”
