Now, he's used his street smarts to stop a bank robbery in Portland, Ore., where he owns a construction company.
He was among the last few customers at a Chase bank branch one evening last week.
When a man pulled a gun on a teller, Rothwell knocked it away and pinned the bandit to the floor.
The gun turned out to be fake, but Rothwell didn't know it.
Rothwell says he just reacted, because the terrified teller was just a few years older than his own daughter.
A local paper reports Chase officials plan to thank Rothwell, but caution customers shouldn't put themselves in harm's way.
The suspect now faces federal charges.
