Joe Greene

Biography

"Mean" Joe Greene arrived in Pittsburgh and changed everything. The Steelers had been the NFL's doormat for decades; Greene made it clear that era was over. His first training camp, he got into a fight - and won - establishing a tone that would define the Steel Curtain. Four Super Bowls in six years were built on defense, and Greene was the cornerstone. At 6'4", 275 pounds, he was unblockable by single blockers, requiring constant double-teams that freed his teammates to make plays. The famous Coca-Cola commercial, where a battered Greene tosses his jersey to a kid who offered him a soda, revealed the human beneath the snarl. But on the field, there was nothing soft about him. The Steelers' dynasty was his creation, and his number 75 is still the standard for defensive tackles.

Career Highlights

• 4 Super Bowl Championships
• 2 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
• 10x Pro Bowl selection
• Anchored Steel Curtain defense
• Hall of Fame first ballot

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