September 24, 1946 – ” Mean” Joe Greene was a former defensive tackle from North Texas State.
Joe Greene was known as a pretty nice guy off the football field, but he was tabbed with the “Mean” part of his nickname by the mascot of North Texas State, being called the Mean Green.
College Career
Charles Edward Greene, better known as “Mean Joe,” was a dominant force at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). A two-time All-American, he earned the fearsome nickname “Mean Joe” not for his personality, but for his menacing style of play. He was a disruptive defensive tackle, commanding double-teams and wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. Joe Greene was known as a pretty nice guy off the football field, but he was tabbed with the “Mean” part of his nickname by the mascot of North Texas State, being called the Mean Green. North Texas, with Joe in the lineup, allowed less than 2 yards per carry in the 29 games from 1965 through the 1968 season.
Greene was so dominant that in his senior year, he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting, a rare honor for a defensive lineman.
Road to the Pro Game
Joe was a consensus All-American in college football in 1968. The Pittsburgh Steelers used the first pick in the 1969 NFL draft to bring the 6′-4″, 275-pound d-lineman to the Steel City. The Steelers were rewarded in this selection by Greene becoming the NFL Rookie of the Year for the 1969 season. In his 13-year career, he was selected to 10 Pro Bowls and was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in both the 1972 and 1974 seasons.
1972 was special as Joe recorded 5 of his 11 season high sacks in a crucial must-win game against the Houston Oilers to propel the Steelers into their first playoff game ever in franchise history! The Steelers a couple of years later won their first of four Super Bowls with Big number 75 anchoring the famed “Steel Curtain Defense.”
Joe Greene was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 & the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
Accolades, Awards, and Career Stats
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1987)
- 4x Super Bowl Champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
- 2x NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1972, 1974)
- 10x Pro Bowl Selection
- 5x First-Team All-Pro
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
- Approximate Career Sacks: 78.5 (sacks were not an official stat until 1982)
- Career Fumble Recoveries: 16
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