Joe Greene (American football)

Joe Greene

Greene in 1975
No. 72, 75
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1946-09-24) September 24, 1946 (age 70)
Place of birth:	Elgin, Texas
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	276 lb (125 kg)
Career information
High school:	Temple (TX) Dunbar
College:	North Texas State
NFL Draft:	1969 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
As player:
Pittsburgh Steelers (1969–1981)
As coach:
Pittsburgh Steelers (1987–1991) (DL) Miami Dolphins (1991–1995) (DL) Arizona Cardinals (1996–2003) (asst.)
Career highlights and awards
4× Super Bowl champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV) 10× Pro Bowl (1969–1976, 1978, 1979) 6× First-team All-Pro (1969, 1972–1974, 1977, 1979) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1971, 1975) NFL Man of the Year (1979) 2× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1972, 1974) NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1969) NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team Pittsburgh Steelers No. 75 retired Consensus All-American (1968) North Texas Mean Green No. 75 retired
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 181 Games started: 172 Player stats at NFL.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Charles Edward Greene (born September 24, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is a former American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1981. A recipient of two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, six first-team All-Pro selections, and ten Pro Bowl appearances, Greene is widely considered one of the greatest defensive linemen to play in the NFL. He was noted for his leadership, fierce competitiveness, and intimidating style of play for which he earned his nickname.

Greene attended North Texas State University (now University of North Texas), where he earned consensus All-America honors as a senior for the North Texas State Mean Green football team. He was drafted by the Steelers fourth overall in the 1969 NFL Draft and made an immediate impact with the team, as he was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. Greene is credited with providing the foundation upon which Steelers coach Chuck Noll turned the dismal franchise into a sports dynasty. He was the cornerstone of the "Steel Curtain" defense that led Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl championships in six years.

Throughout his career, Greene was one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL, overpowering opposing offensive linemen with ease. Former teammate Andy Russell called Greene "unquestionably the NFL's best player in the seventies." He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame, and his number 75 jersey is retired by both the North Texas football team and the Steelers. Greene is also well known for his appearance in the "Hey Kid, Catch!" Coca-Cola commercial in 1979, which aired during Super Bowl XIV and cemented his legacy as a "tough football player who's a nice guy."