Steelers to Honor Kevin Greene in Week 4

There’s certainly no shortage of bronze busts repping the steelmark in Canton. This season, the historic franchise will honor yet another Hall of Fame inductee, albeit one whose career included only a pit stop in Pittsburgh. Legendary pass rusher Kevin Greene spent three of his fifteen years with the Steelers, but left an indelible mark on the franchise and will be honored in week 4 during a primetime clash with the Chiefs.

In an event not expected to be as lavish an affair as Mean Joe Greene’s jersey retirement or Brett Favre Appreciation Night last year in Lambeau, Greene will most likely receive a ring, a standing ovation, and a flitter of NBC airtime coming out of commercial.

Greene finished his career third on the NFL’s all-time sack list behind only Reggie White and Bruce Smith. He was named to the Pro Bowl in each year as a Steeler, including First-Team All-Pro honors in 1994.

The model of not only consistency, but sheer dominance, during his career, Greene racked up 35.5 of his 160 total sacks with Pittsburgh and formed the core of a fearsome Bill Cowher defense that included Greg Lloyd, Rod Woodson and Jason Gildon. But like the Steelers of the ‘90s, a Super Bowl championship eluded Greene in his playing career, only for him to ironically defeat his former team in Super Bowl XLV as the Packers outside linebacker coach.

Greene initially made his name with the Rams, registering about half his career sack production on some up and down teams. After moving on from the Steelers, Greene won another conference championship with the Panthers in 1996, only for the second-year franchise to fall to the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. After a dispute with the organization, he moved to San Francisco to play the famed “elephant” pass rusher role. One year later, he was back in Carolina where he ended his career.

Never one to let age play a role in his production, Greene registered twelve sacks at 37 before finally hanging up the cleats. For perspective, the Steelers current active sack leader, 38-year-old James Harrison, is facing an uphill battle as he aims to record three sacks in his final year to retire with the franchise record…one Greene would have surely held to this day had he spent more time with the Black and Gold.