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Joe Greene
#75
"Mean" Joe......He lived up to his Nickname!!!
Joe Greene
Nickname: Mean Joe
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6-4
Weight: 280
Born: September 24, 1946/ Temple, Texas
College: North Texas St
Drafted: 1969 1st Round (4th overall)
Jersey Number: 72 (1969), 75 (1970 - 1981)
NFL Career: 1969-1981 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pro Bowls: 1970-1977, 1979, 1980
Steelers Team MVP: 1970
Inducted, Hall of Fame: 1987 (presenter: Chuck Noll)
Surprisingly enough, when Chuck Noll chose to draft Joe Greene to Pittsburgh in the 1st round of the 1969 draft, a lot of people had never heard of the 1968 consensus All-America at North Texas State despite the fact Greene was a unanimous choice as nation's top defensive linemen in 1968. He earned Missouri Valley Conference Athlete of the Year honors in 1968 after being a three-time first team all-conference player and was named outstanding lineman on the South Senior Bowl squad. Greene had also played in East-West Shrine game. People would get to know Mean Joe Greene soon enough. He was destined to be one of the greatest defensive linemen in pro football history, attested by his 10 All Pro years. Almost from his first game, the big tackle from Texas showed the superstar talents that established him as the integral cornerstone upon which head coach Chuck Noll would soon build a defensive dynasty that would go on to conquer four AFC titles and four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Greene was made the defensive rookie of the year in 1969 when he received the first of his 10 Pro Bowl invitations. He won all-pro and/or All-AFC acclaim nine times in the `70s.
Greene was selected as the NFL defensive player of the year in both 1972 and 1974, playing a major role in his team's success. He had a career-high 11 sacks in 1972 when Pittsburgh won its first AFC Championship and Super Bowl IX.
That year, Greene developed the new tactic of lining up at a sharp angle between the guard and center to disrupt the opposition's blocking assignment. Against Minnesota in Super Bowl IX "Mean Joe" was virtually unstoppable. His pass interception and a critical fumble recovery at Pittsburgh's 7-yard line were major factors in the Vikings' defeat. Greene was a key component in the Steelers' run-stopping defensive machine, which allowed just 3.6 yards per attempt and held nine opponents to under 100- yards rushing.
He was armed with speed, quickness, strength and great determination; and at the peak of his career, could dominate a game almost single-handedly. He opened his career with a 91-game streak that was interrupted by injury in 1975. Greene fought off injuries through much of his 13 seasons, but still wound up playing 181 of a possible 190 regular season games. His last Pro Bowl appearance following the 1979 season broke a team record shared with Ernie Stautner and marked the most appearances by any other active AFC player.
Greene has a few other noteworthy moments in the limelight; he won a Clio award in 1980 for his Coca-Cola commercial; he also appeared in Smoky and the Bandit II
