'Revenge of the Nerds' Actor Bernie Casey Dead at 78

09/20/2017 07:45 pm EDT

Revenge of the Nerds actor Bernie Casey has died due to an unknown illness. He was 78.

TMZ reports the actor fell ill recently and had been hospitalized in the days leading up to his death. He died on Wednesday surrounded by family.

Casey played U.N. Jefferson, the national head of Lambda Lambda Lambda, in the beloved comedy and three of its sequels.

He also played John Slade in the 1988 action comedy I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and history teacher Mr. Ryan in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

Additionally, Casey had guest roles on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5, Roots: The Next Generation and more.

In addition to his acting career, Casey was also an accomplished athlete. He was a star track-and-field competitor at Bowling Green University and was the 9th pick in the 1961 NFL draft.

He played in the league for eight seasons, six with the San Francisco 49ers and two with the Los Angeles Rams. He also competed in 1968's Pro Bowl.

-------

Want to win a killer Kingsman: The Golden Circle prize pack? 2 lucky winners will get the chance to win some epic Kingsman gear by clicking here or the image above! Also click here to find out when Kingsman: The Golden Circle is playing near you and pre-order your tickets for your local Regal Cinema!

Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.