Joe Greene (Football Player) – Overview, Biography

Name:Joe Greene
Occupation: Football Player
Gender:Male
Birth Day: September 24,
1946
Age: 74
Birth Place: Elgin,
United States
Zodiac Sign:Libra

Joe Greene

Joe Greene was born on September 24, 1946 in Elgin, United States (74 years old). Joe Greene is a Football Player, zodiac sign: Libra. Nationality: United States. Approx. Net Worth: Undisclosed. @ plays for the team .

Trivia

He was selected to 10 Pro Bowls during his NFL career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. He gained widespread fame off the field for his role in the famous 1979 “Hey Kid, Catch!” Coca-Cola commercial.

Net Worth 2020

Undisclosed
Find out more about Joe Greene net worth here.

Physique

HeightWeightHair ColourEye ColourBlood TypeTattoo(s)
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Before Fame

He played college football at North Texas and was selected 4th overall in the 1969 NFL Draft by the Steelers.

Biography

Biography Timeline

1966

While sources agree the name is a reference to North Texas’ athletics teams, the Mean Green, there are conflicting accounts as to how, when, and why Greene received his “Mean Greene” nickname. When he first arrived at North Texas, the university’s moniker was the Eagles. In 1966, Greene’s first year on the varsity team, the team adopted the “Mean Green” moniker. Two possible origins of the nickname are two separate cheers that supposedly developed independently during North Texas’ 1966 game against UTEP. One cheer was by Sidney Sue Graham, wife of the North Texas sports information director. In response to a tackle by Greene, she blurted out, “That’s the way, Mean Greene!” Bill Mercer, former North Texas play-by-play announcer, states Graham’s thought behind the nickname was the Mean Green defense. Meanwhile, in the student section, North Texas basketball players Willie Davis and Ira Daniels, unsatisfied with the unenthusiastic crowd, began to sing, “Mean Green, you look so good to me”. The rest of the crowd soon followed. “After that we did it every game,” Davis said. “A lot of people later on started associating it with Joe because his last name was Greene, but it actually started with that simple chant that Saturday night at Fouts Field. And that’s the truth.”

1969

The Pittsburgh Steelers franchise was one of the most downtrodden in the NFL, having experienced many losing seasons before the hiring of Chuck Noll as head coach in 1969. Noll and the Rooney family, which had owned the franchise since its formation, agreed that building the defensive line was crucial to rebuilding the team. Thus, they decided on Greene with the fourth pick of the 1969 NFL Draft. The selection proved unpopular with fans and media, who were hoping for a player that would generate excitement; the relatively unknown Greene did not appear to meet their expectations. Meanwhile, Greene, who was highly competitive, was disappointed he was picked by a team that had such a reputation for losing. “I did not, did not want to be a Steeler,” he admitted in a 2013 interview. Noll saw immense potential in Greene and insisted on drafting him. In a matter of months he established himself as one of the most dominant players in the league at his position. Despite his team finishing 1969 with a 1–13 win–loss record, the Associated Press (AP) named Greene the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he was invited to his first Pro Bowl.

1971

Former teammate Andy Russell called Greene “unquestionably the NFL’s best player in the seventies,” saying “No player had a greater impact or did more for his team.” Greene and coach Noll are widely credited with turning the Steelers franchise around. The Steelers finished 1970 with a 5–9 record and went 6–8 in 1971. Greene was invited to the Pro Bowl in both seasons. In 1972, Pittsburgh finished 11–3 and won its first division title and its first playoff game—the “Immaculate Reception” game against the Oakland Raiders. During the season, Greene tallied 11 quarterback sacks and 42 solo tackles, and he was recognized as the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula lauded Greene, saying, “He’s just a super super star. It’s hard to believe he isn’t offside on every play. He makes the other team adjust to him.” By this time, Noll had built a formidable defense. “We have maybe 10 guys now capable of making All-Pro,” said Greene in 1972. “I’m just like all the other guys, doing my best in a team effort.” With the drafting of defensive tackle Ernie Holmes in 1972, the Steelers assembled what became known as the “Steel Curtain” defensive line of Greene, Holmes, L. C. Greenwood, and Dwight White. Greene was invited to the Pro Bowl for 1973, joining White and Greenwood on the American Football Conference (AFC) roster.

1975

Greene won his second AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award after the 1974 season, becoming the first player to receive the award multiple times. That year, he developed a new tactic of lining up at a sharp angle between the guard and center to disrupt the opposition’s blocking assignments. His coaches were at first skeptical of the tactic and did not allow him to try it during the regular season. He first implemented it against the Buffalo Bills in the division championship game. It proved to be highly effective, as it impeded Buffalo’s blocking, and running back O. J. Simpson managed only 48 yards rushing. The following week, the Steelers faced the Oakland Raiders in the AFC championship game, with the defining match-up being Greene against All-Pro center Jim Otto. At one point Greene, consumed by emotions, kicked Otto in the groin. Later, on a third-down play, Greene threw Otto to the ground with one arm before leaping to sack quarterback Ken Stabler. Oakland was held to 29 rushing yards in the Steelers’ 24–13 victory. On January 12, 1975, the Steelers won their first of four Super Bowl championships in a six-year span by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 16–6 in Super Bowl IX. In that game, lined up against center Mick Tingelhoff, Greene recorded an interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery in what is considered one of the greatest individual defensive Super Bowl performances. Pittsburgh limited the Vikings to only 119 total yards of offense, 17 of which were gained on the ground. After the season, Greene was honored by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at its 39th Dapper Dan dinner as Pittsburgh’s outstanding sports figure of the year.

Greene missed four games in 1975 due to a pinched nerve, snapping a streak of 91 straight games started since he entered the league. In December 1975, he and the other members of the Steel Curtain appeared on the cover of Time magazine. After leading the Steelers to another Super Bowl win after the 1975 season over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X, Greene missed the first several games of the 1976 season with a back injury. The Steelers started off the season 1–4 and looked like they would not make the playoffs. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw was also injured and was replaced by rookie Mike Kruczek. Greene returned and the Steelers defense carried the team to nine-straight wins and the playoffs. With a defense considered one of the best in NFL history, the 1976 Steelers held opponents to an average of less than 10 points per game (138 points over 14 games). During their nine-game winning streak, the Steelers defense recorded five shutouts, including three straight, and surrendered a total of 28 points (roughly 3 points per game). The defense allowed only two touchdowns over those nine games. The Steelers were defeated by the Raiders in that year’s AFC championship game.

1977

By 1977, Greene was the captain of the Steelers defense, although his reduced effectiveness over the previous two seasons due to injuries led to rumors that he was washed up. He was never again able to attain the same success as a pass rusher after his pinched nerve in 1975. Spurred by the rumors, he returned in 1978 to lead all Pittsburgh linemen in tackles, and he had four sacks and a career-high five fumble recoveries. The Steelers defense allowed a league-low 195 points during the season, en route to a 35–31 victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. In that contest, Greene had one of Pittsburgh’s five sacks of Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach.

Greene and middle linebacker Jack Lambert became the emotional leaders of Pittsburgh’s defensive squad. Greene was described as a huge presence both on and off the field. Joe Gordon of the Steelers front office recalled an instance in which a teammate was loudly voicing his discontent over the long and cold practice they had just gone through as he yanked off his equipment. At a nearby locker, Greene lifted his head and silently glared at him. “Believe me, that’s all Joe did, he never even said anything,” said Gordon. “I don’t think the other players saw Joe glare at him. I think the other player just felt it, and then he sat down and never said another word.” A natural leader, Greene was named the captain of the defense in 1977. His leadership was also channeled to the offense; Lynn Swann, a wide receiver, considered Greene a mentor. “If you were giving less than 100 percent, he let you know one way or the other,” said Swann.

1979

Greene’s nickname remained popular due to his exploits on the playing field, where he was described as ferocious and intimidating. He instilled fear in opponents with the intensity of his play. In a 1979 game against the Houston Oilers, with only seconds remaining and Houston leading 20–17, the Oilers lined up near the Pittsburgh goal line to run their final play. With victory already assured for the Oilers, Greene pointed angrily across the line of scrimmage at Houston quarterback Dan Pastorini, warning, “If you come into the end zone, I’ll beat the crap out of you! I’m gonna kill you!” Pastorini responded by taking a knee, ending the game. Afterword, Greene laughed and said, “I knew you weren’t going to do it.”

Greene appeared in a famous commercial for Coca-Cola that debuted on October 1, 1979, and was aired during Super Bowl XIV on January 20, 1980. The ad won a Clio Award in 1980 for being one of the best commercials of 1979. It is widely considered to be one of the best television commercials of all time. The commercial helped shift the public’s perception of Greene as hostile and unapproachable, to a soft-hearted “nice guy”.

1987

After retiring from the NFL, Greene spent one year, 1982, as a color analyst for NFL on CBS before becoming an assistant coach under Steelers’ head coach Chuck Noll in 1987. He spent the next 16 years as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1987–1991), Miami Dolphins (1991–1995), and Arizona Cardinals (1996–2003). In 2004, he retired from coaching and was named the special assistant for player personnel for the Steelers. In this position, he earned his fifth Super Bowl ring after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. When asked how it felt to finally win “one for the thumb”, he replied, “That’s all utter nonsense. It’s one for the right hand. It’s one for this group, for this team.” He earned a sixth ring from Super Bowl XLIII. Greene is one of four people outside the Rooney family to have Super Bowl rings from the first six championship teams. He retired from his position in the Steelers front office in 2013.

2013

Greene is recognized as one of the most dominant players to ever play in the NFL. He is widely considered one of the greatest defensive linemen in league history. His durability allowed him to play in 181 of a possible 190 games, including a streak of 91 straight to begin his career. The Steel Curtain defense is consistently ranked among the top defensive groups of all time. As of the death of L. C. Greenwood in September 2013, Greene is the last surviving member of the Steel Curtain.

2014

In 2014, Greene was the subject of an episode of the NFL Network documentary series A Football Life, which chronicled his life and career. As of 2016, he resides in Flower Mound, Texas. His wife of 47 years, Agnes, with whom he had three children, died in 2015. He has since remarried to Charlotte Greene. Greene is known as “Papa Joe” to his seven grandchildren. In 2017, Greene released an autobiography entitled Mean Joe Greene: Built by Football.

2018

In 2018 Greene set up the Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Memorial Scholarship in honor of his late wife. The scholarships are presented annually to students from Texas, whose parents have battled cancer.

🎂 Upcoming Birthday

Currently, Joe Greene is 76 years, 0 months and 4 days old. Joe Greene will celebrate 77th birthday on a Sunday 24th of September 2023.

Find out about Joe Greene birthday activities in timeline view here.

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