 
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
              
|
Thursday, April 27, 2000 By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Joe Greene is a big man, physically and in Steelers' lore, but he nearly was brought to his knees Monday with one telephone call.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Dan Rooney asked Greene to present him for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.
"I'll tell you, if I wasn't sitting down, I probably would have fallen over," Greene said yesterday from his office at the Arizona Cardinals, where he is defensive line coach. "I was just kind of flabbergasted, you know, truly, truly honored. Probably the last time I felt this good is when we won a Super Bowl, aside from having grandkids."
Greene was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987, the first of the Super Bowl Steelers of the 1970s to make it. He said this has more emotion for him.
Rooney is the eighth from the franchise of that era to be honored. He and his father, Art, will be only the second father and son in the Hall of Fame. Tim and Wellington Mara of the New York Giants are the others.
Greene was the Steelers' first draft pick when Chuck Noll became coach in 1969. He was the cornerstone of the franchise's turnaround from league joke to one of professional sports' most powerful dynasties.
That was one reason Rooney, the team's president, chose him for the honor of presenting him at Canton, Ohio, but it went much deeper than that. The two have had a bond through the years. Greene was a main speaker at the ground-breaking ceremony in June for the new football stadium.
"Joe is a good friend," Rooney said, "and Joe really represents the Steelers players. Joe is really a good person and indicative of what we represent. I felt it should be a Steeler, and he was always on my mind."
Greene, who was presented for induction by Noll, also in the Hall of Fame, became emotional when he spoke of his selection by Rooney.
"I guess it has something to do with someone I respect a whole lot and admire a whole lot, how he feels about you.
"I guess it's in our nature when we are given a compliment, a genuine compliment that we feel good about it. It's an honor and maybe says how I handled myself during my time with the Steelers. Maybe not just about football but more importantly as a person, and that means something to me."
The Steelers have, through the years, honored Greene in other ways. For example, their annual rookie of the year award is named after him. He also coached the Steelers defensive line from 1987 through 1991 and was one of four coaching finalists when Noll retired in 1992.
Said Greene, "I know Dan has made it possible that I would stay in contact through the dinners, through the awards banquets, and I think he's always wanted me to be in touch and created situations where I always could be in touch."
Greene will present Rooney for induction July 29. The Steelers play their first exhibition game the following night in Dallas.
NOTES -- Kevin Colbert, the Steelers director of football operations, has been interviewing candidates to fill two jobs in the scouting department, one of them a new position. He will name someone to replace Max McCartney, who resigned as the team's college scouting coordinator in February. He also will hire someone to scout pros and colleges, a new position. Among those he has interviewed are Pittsburgh native Mike Butler, a scout with the Colts and former scout with the Steelers, and former Eagles personnel man Dick Daniels.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
