7 Pittsburgh Steelers who contributed to black history
By Edward Hunt
Mean Joe Greene
Every fan of football should know Mean Joe Greene. I don’t care if you are a fan of the Steelers or the Ravens or the Raiders.
The mark of Joe Greene and the reason they call him “mean’ is because of his competitive fire. His outbursts of anger are famous, but they shaped what we want in a football player. Scouts don’t love a defensive lineman who is going to blow kisses at the other team, they want a football player.
Joe Greene was nasty because he wanted to win. He changed the Steelers franchise from an NFL loser to a dynasty in the 70s. The Steelers have a history of being one of the most physical franchises in NFL history. (Pg. 15, Loede)
The Steelers of the 70s were the dynasty and they won four Super Bowls as a team. It is common to see a lot of baby boomers around the country be Steelers fan because of these teams. These years made them one of the most storied franchises in the NFL.
Mean Joe wasn’t without his own successes. As Matt Loede summarized in his “100 Things Steelers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die” Joe Greene, ” was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, five-time All-Pro selection, three-time second-team All-Pro selection, two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and (of course) four-time Super Bowl champion.” according to Matt Loede in 100 things Steelers fans should know and do before they die. (Pg. 15)
Joe Greene was the star on the great Steelers Steel Curtain which is the defense that marked the 70s Steelers who were instrumental in winning four Super Bowls.