Bielema played college football as a defensive lineman at Iowa under legendary coach Hayden Fry from 1989 to 1992, serving as team captain his senior season. After receiving a scholarship his sophomore year, he got a tattoo of Iowa's Tiger Hawk logo on his left calf, which he still has today. Bielema graduated from Iowa with a bachelor's degree in marketing. He went on to play for the Milwaukee Mustangs, a team in the Arena Football League.