NFL: The 30 most incredible duos in league history
By Brad Weiss
18. Jack Ham and Joe Greene, Pittsburgh Steelers
Heading into the 1969 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise had fallen on hard times. They knew they needed someone to help bring the franchise back to life. With the No. 4 overall pick that draft, they selected Joe Greene out of North Texas State. With Greene in the fold, things turned around quickly.
One of the anchors of the Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense, Greene helped the franchise to win four Super Bowls during his time with the team, twice being named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. His last time winning that award was in 1974 His teammate in linebacker Jack Ham would take the award the following season.
In their 10 seasons together, Ham and Greene were two of the more dominant defensive players in football, as they were named to a combined 18 Pro Bowls. An outside linebacker, Ham not only won the four Super Bowls with Greene but also was a six-time All-Pro. He is considered one of the hardest hitting linebackers in NFL history.
The Steelers’ defense in the 1970s was extremely special. It is no big surprise that they would go on to lead the franchise to so many Super Bowl victories. For Ham and Greene, their NFL careers would culminate with them being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, alongside teammates like Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann and Jack Lambert.