The narrated video below shows footage of the Rubber Bowl torn down; the plan being to bury and cover the site with dirt. It’s a piece of Ohio history disappearing, a stadium that once hosted memorable sporting events and concerts.
On Tuesday, July 11, 1972, the Rolling Stones performed at the Akron Rubber Bowl as part of their American Tour. The video talks about the demolition, but there’s another story connected to that night that many may not be aware of.
Bender was assigned to the front of the stage, close enough to see Mick Jagger’s expressions as the band played. The crowd was loud and restless, the kind of energy only a big stadium concert in the early seventies could produce.
During the show, someone in the crowd threw a bottle toward the stage. It spun through the lights for a split second. Bender reacted instantly and caught it out of the air. Mick Jagger saw the whole thing.
After the concert, Jagger had Bender brought backstage. According to Nick Saban, who told this story years later, Jagger offered him a job on the spot. Full‑time security. Travel with the band. Start immediately. Bender accepted. He never returned to camp.
With the middle linebacker suddenly gone, the coaches had to reshuffle the defense. They moved a tall, intense defensive end into the middle to fill the vacancy.
Enter, Jack Lambert. 
Lambert only became a middle linebacker because Bob Bender went to work for the Rolling Stones. That one moment changed Kent State’s defense and eventually helped shape the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dynasty. Lambert went on to become an All‑American, a second‑round draft pick, and the heart of the Steel Curtain and Hall of Famer.
All of it tied to a night at the Rubber Bowl, a flying bottle, and a split‑second catch that changed football history.
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