Kevin Greene Career NFL Stats 1985-1999 |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G |
SOLOTKL |
AST TKL |
COMB TKL |
SACKS |
INT |
INT TD |
FF |
FR |
FRTD |
| 228 |
227 |
65 |
734 |
160.0 |
5 |
1 |
23 |
26 |
2 |
Kevin Darwin Greene was born on July 31, 1962 in New York, NY. He was the son of Patricia and Therman Greene. His father was in the military so the Greene family moved around several times. During a four year period, Kevin lived in Granite City, IL. That is where his road to Canton began.
Greene attended Granite South High School. He played both basketball and football but wasn’t one of the school’s top athletes at either sport. In football, Greene received an honorable mention for All-Conference. Needless to say he didn’t garner much attention from colleges at any level. However, Greene was determined to make it as a football player and decided to walk on at Auburn University.
Kevin Greene College Career Stats and Notes
When Greene got to Auburn he didn’t walk on immediately but finished his career setting records. He played two seasons there and as a fifth year senior in 1984 he set a school record with 11 sacks, which also led the SEC. The Tigers made a bowl appearance both years he played.
Awards and Achievements |
|
MVP
|
|
All-Pro
|
1st Team: 1989, 1994, 1996 |
Pro Bowl Selections |
1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998
|
Defensive Player of the Year Award |
|
Achievements
|
Member of 1990s All-Decade Team |
Kevin Greene NFL Career Stats and Notes
Greene was selected in the 5th round (113th overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played for the Rams for eight years. In 1993, Greene headed to PA and joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his time in Pittsburgh, he was a force alongside Gregg Lloyd. In 1995, Greene and the Steelers reached their first Super Bowl in 15 years. However they would fall short in Super Bowl XXX to the Dallas Cowboys 27-17. In 1996, Greene signed with the Carolina Panthers. He played in Carolina for three of his last four seasons in the league; he spent the 1997 season with the San Francisco 49ers. Greene retired after the 1999 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Kevin Greene and the Blitzburgh Defense
Although Greene had a good run with the Rams, the best part of his Hall of Fame career came when he was in Pittsburgh. Teamed up with another Steelers legend Greg Lloyd, the two became one of the best pass rushing duos in the league.
For three years Greene and the Steelers defense was one of the best each of those years. Their zone blitzing schemes overwhelmed opposing offenses each week. With blitz packages that included Greene and Lloyd as well as cornerbacks and safeties, they were unleashed on any down and distance. So much so the defense was coined the nickname ‘Blitzburgh’.
Greene had 35.5 sacks during his three years in Pittsburgh. He helped rejuvenate the team’s return to defensive glory. With Blitzburgh creating confusion on passing plays and a stout run defense, the Steelers reached two consecutive AFC championship games and in 1996 won their first AFC crown since the 1979 season.