Joe Greene Biography

Charles Edward Greene, known as Mean Joe Greene, was born on September 24, 1946, and played as a defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 to 1981. Greene earned two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, five first-team All-Pro selections, and ten Pro Bowl appearances during his career. Born in Temple, Texas, he played college football for the North Texas State Eagles and earned consensus All-America honors as a senior. Greene contributed to the structural development that enabled coach Chuck Noll to establish the Pittsburgh Steelers as a prominent NFL team. Throughout his tenure, Greene consistently dominated opposing offensive linemen and disrupted blocking schemes with his strength and technique. Despite his talent, Greene's high school team, the Dunbar Panthers, had a below-average record, and he received limited college recruitment. As a senior in 1968, he was named to the first-team All-America squad by UPI, the Newspaper Enterprise Association, and The Sporting News.