 Kevin Greene during preseason training, August 2011 |
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No. 91
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| Linebacker / Defensive End | |||||||||
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Personal information
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| Date of birth: July 31, 1962 | |||||||||
| Place of birth: Schenectady, New York | |||||||||
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Career information
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| College: Auburn | |||||||||
| NFL Draft: 1985 / Round: 5 / Pick: 113 | |||||||||
| Debuted in 1985 | |||||||||
| Last played in 1999 | |||||||||
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Career history
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As Player
As Coach
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Career highlights and awards
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As Player
As Coach
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Career NFL statistics
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Kevin Darwin Greene (born July 31, 1962) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years. Greene retired after the 1999 NFL season and currently ranks third amongst all-time sack leaders. Greene is currently the outside linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers.
Contents |
Early years [edit]
Greene was a two-year starter and honorable mention All-conference selection as a senior at Granite City South High (IL.). He also played basketball and was a high jumper for the track team. He is in The Granite City Sports Hall of Fame in Granite City, IL.
College career [edit]
Greene played college football as a walk-on at Auburn University, and in 1984 won the Zeke Smith Award as Defensive Player of the Year. He had 69 career tackles as an outside linebacker and 11 sacks his senior year where he led the Southeastern Conference. He was selected by the Birmingham Stallions in the 1985 United States Football League Territorial Draft and later selected by the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League in the fifth round (113th overall) of the NFL Draft the same year. He earned a degree in Criminal Justice at Auburn. He completed ROTC while at Auburn and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Alabama Army National Guard and during the off season, he graduated from the RC-1-86 Armor Officer Basic Course, Fort Knox, KY.
NFL career [edit]
Los Angeles Rams [edit]
He played for the Rams from 1985 through 1992. In 1988, Greene led the Rams with 16½ sacks which was 2nd overall in the NFL behind Reggie White. That total included 4½ sacks against the San Francisco 49ers' Joe Montana in a key late-season game that the Rams had to win order to make the playoffs which they did.
The following year Greene made All-Pro in 1989 and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time with his second consecutive season of 16½ sacks (4th in the NFL). In 1988 and 1989 Greene earned $225,000 each season and in 1990 wanted a multi-year contract worth $1 million per season. [1] After a 39-day holdout, Greene signed a 3-year $2.5 million contract with the Rams [2] His 13 sacks (tied for 6th in the NFL) in 1990 gave him 46 sacks for that three-year period, the most of any player. In 1991 the Rams changed defenses and defensive coordinators. Jeff Fisher switched the Rams to a 4-3 defense after being a 3-4 team since 1983. Greene was moved from outside linebacker to defensive end. Due to injuries he ended the season back at linebacker but he ended the season with only 3 sacks. His lowest total, by far, since his rookie season. In 1992 the Rams hired Chuck Knox as head coach and the Rams remained a 4-3 defensive team but Greene played a more usual position, left outside linebacker. He finished with 10 sacks and Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman picked Greene for his own personal All-Pro team, citing Greene's coverage ability.[3]
Pittsburgh Steelers [edit]
In 1993 he signed a 3-year $5.35 million free-agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[4] He had a solid season with 12½ sacks which tied him for 7th in the league. The following season, Greene was a consensus All-Pro choice in 1994 as he led the NFL in sacks (14) and made another appearance in the Pro Bowl. In 1995 he went to his third Pro Bowl, where he finished with 9 sacks and also played in Super Bowl XXX, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Later career [edit]
On May 21, 1996, Greene signed with the Carolina Panthers (a 2-year $2 million deal) [5] following their 1995 inaugural season and helped them reach the NFC Championship Game where the team lost to the eventual Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers. In 1996 he was named the NFC Linebacker of the Year and received the NEA Defensive Player of the Year Award. In addition the NFL Alumni voted Greene the NFL Linebacker of the Year Award. He was also voted the NFC Player of the Year by the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club. Additionally, he set an NFL record with 5 consecutive multi-sack games and finished leading the NFL in sacks for the second time in three years with 14½. Along the way he was a consensus All-Pro in 1996 for the second time in three years. He was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl. Said by Panther teammate Dwight Stone to be, along with Sam Mills, the most "professional guy" on the 1996 Panther team.[6]
After one season with the Panthers and a dispute with that organization over his wrestling career, he played one season for the San Francisco 49ers. Greene signed what the 49ers called a six-year, $13 million contract, that included a $750,000 signing bonus on September 25, 1997.[7] Greene had been released by the Panthers on August 25, 1997. With the 49ers Greene had 10.5 sacks and broke Lawrence Taylor's record for most sacks by a linebacker.
After the 1997 holdout and a year with the 49ers Greene re-signed with the Panthers on February 28, 1998.[8] In 1998 he was repeated his honor of being named NFC Linebacker of the year by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Greene was named to the Pro Bowl after the 1998 season bringing his Pro Bowl total to five. Greene was tied for third in the NFL for sacks, after Michael Sinclair (16½ sacks), Reggie White (16 sacks), and tied with Michael Strahan who each totaled 15 sacks.
Greene retired after registering 12 sacks (good for 7th in the NFL) playing as a 4-3 outside linebacker in 1999; he finished his career as a five-time Pro Bowler and the NFL's third all-time sack leader with 160, behind only Bruce Smith and Reggie White. He also finished as the NFL's all-time leader in sacks by a linebacker, ahead of players like Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Rickey Jackson, and Andre Tippett; Greene is also one of only four players to lead the NFL in sacks in multiple seasons ('94 with the Steelers and '96 with the Panthers). Additionally, he is also tied for second in career safeties with three and third all-time in fumble recoveries with 26 (which he returned for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns); he described his aggressive style of going after fumbles as "a hog going after a sweet potato in the mud".[9] During his career, Greene recorded five interceptions, returning them for 53 yards and a touchdown, and he is one of three players to record 10 sacks in at least ten different seasons; he averaged over 10 sacks a year for 15 seasons.
Greene played in 228 games in his 15-year career. Ten times he was among the NFL's Top 10 sackers, leading the NFL twice. Eleven times in his 15 years he led his club in sacks. Played in six conference championships in his 15 seasons. He is considered to be one of the greatest pass rushers of all-time.
Wrestling career [edit]
Greene had a couple of short stints in World Championship Wrestling. He debuted in WCW as a tag team partner for fellow NFL alum Steve McMichael, but McMichael turned on him in favor of joining the Four Horsemen. Greene disappeared from WCW for several months before returning to get revenge on McMichael in a singles match, where he defeated McMichael when the latter's ally Jeff Jarrett accidentally nailed McMichael with a briefcase.
He then made a final return in mid-1998, teaming with former football player Bill Goldberg against the nWo Black and White. Greene left wrestling when NFL teams began requiring a "no wrestling" clause in his contract.
- Signature moves
Coaching career [edit]
During the 2008 season Greene, along with former Steeler Jason Gildon, served an internship for the Pittsburgh Steelers as an assistant linebackers coach during training camp. On January 26, 2009, Greene was hired as an Outside Linebackers Coach for the Green Bay Packers by Dom Capers. The Packers were transitioning into a 3-4 base defense from their traditional 4-3 base. Greene played for Capers for two years as a Steeler, and then followed Capers to Carolina when Capers was named first head coach of the Panthers. On February 6, 2011, the Packers won Super Bowl XLV, the first time Greene had ever been part of an NFL championship team.
Notes [edit]
- Was a semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, 2008, 2009,2010,2011,and 2012.[13]
- Wore #90 at Auburn and #91 throughout his NFL career.
- Got his U.S. Army commission by attending ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corp) at Auburn University the summer of 1982.
- Served as a Captain during a 16-year Army Reserve[14] career, drilling at Fort Knox after his professional football season had ended. He also attended (JMOC) Jr. Officer Maintenance Course as well as (TC3) Tank Commander Certification Course at Ft. Knox, KY. He is also a United States Army Paratrooper having attended the United States Army Airborne school at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
- Spoke at the memorial service for Orange County, California, pastor Charles Obremski with fellow professional athletes Jackie Slater, Jeff Kemp, Tim Salmon, Chuck Finley and others after the minister's 2005 death.[15]
- In 1995 hit Brett Favre so hard that he caused the quarterback to spit up blood.[16][17]
- Says his favorite sack was one on Trent Dilfer, in Tampa Bay, in 1997.
- Was guest on TV game show Wheel of Fortune in 1999.[18]
- Greene and his wife, Tara, have a son, Gavin, and a daughter, Gabrielle[19]
- For much of his career, Greene was known for sporting a long, blond, shoulder length hair.
- Appeared on a Pros vs. Joes episode on March 20, 2006 titled "Can You Take a Hit from Kevin Greene?"[20]
References [edit]
- ^ "GREENE RETURNS TO RAM DEFENSIVE FOLD" Long Beach Press-Telegram. Sep 2, 1990. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
- ^ "Greene Was Another Example for Rams", Los Angeles Times, September 3, 1990.
- ^ (Zimmerman, Paul) Dr. Z's All-pro Team, Sports Illustrated vault, January 11, 1993. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ TRANSACTIONS, New York Times April 4, 1993.
- ^ "THE INSIDE TRACK; Watch It, World, a Greene Machine Is on the Way", Los Angeles Times, May 21, 1996.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "GREENE RETURNS AS PANTHERS' ENEMY" Greenboro News & Record, September 25, 1997.
- ^ "GREENE SIGNS TO RETURN TO PANTHERS", Buffalo News, February 28, 1998.
- ^ [2]
- ^ a b c "The Great American Bash report on June 16, 1996".
- ^ a b "Weekly WCW report from May 17, 1997 to May 19, 1997".
- ^ "Bash at the Beach report on July 12, 1998".
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4] Packers team bio
- ^ [5]
- ^ Google.books
- ^ ibid
- ^ [6]
- ^ Green Bay Packers Coaching bio
- ^ IMDB.com: Pros vs. Joes, Can You Take a Hit from Kevin Greene?, March 20, 2006
External links [edit]
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