One NFL legend every team wishes they could bring back in 2021
By Randy Gurzi
Pittsburgh Steelers: Joe Greene, Defensive Tackle
“Mean” Joe Greene was not just one of the best Pittsburgh Steelers to ever play the game, but he was also one of the best in the history of the NFL. There’s also an argument to be made that he’s the most dominant defensive lineman to ever step foot on a football field.
Born and raised in Texas, Greene played for North Texas State and turned enough heads to get drafted fourth overall in 1969 by the Steelers. He then played for them his entire career which lasted until 1981.
During those 13 seasons, he did nothing but win. He won countless battles with opposing offensive linemen and the ‘Steel Curtain’ defense led their team to many wins on the field. Greene was a part of four Super Bowl wins for the Steelers and was named to the Pro Bowl 10 times and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award twice.
He was also great for endorsements and appeared in several movies. Greene’s most popular appearance in front of the camera was a Coca-Cola commercial where he tossed his jersey to a kid after the young fan gave him a coke.
By today’s standards, the commercial is pretty simple but it remains nostalgic and even won an award back when it was aired.
Pittsburgh has some stars on defense still but they’re not as dangerous — or feared — as they were with “Mean” Joe Greene. Bringing him back in 2021 would change that as a strong Steelers defense would suddenly be a dominant one.