University of North Texas Athletics

Joe Greene Named ESPN All-Time All-American
12/26/2019 3:26:00 PM | Football
BRISTOL, Connecticut - Hall of Fame defensive lineman "Mean" Joe Greene was named to ESPN's All-Time All-America Second Team, espn.com announced Thursday. As part of its yearlong College Football 150 storytelling initiative, ESPN has revealed the sport's All-Time All-America Team exclusively on espn.com. The All-Time All-America Team is derived from a blue-ribbon panel vote conducted earlier this year.
The prestigious list is comprised of a First Team and a Second Team, with 11 players on offense, 11 on defense, a kicker, a punter and an all-purpose player on both teams.
The full story is available here.
Considered not only the greatest player in North Texas history, Greene is also considered the greatest defensive tackle in the history of football. Greene, a three-time Missouri Valley All-Conference player, anchored a defensive line at North Texas that allowed opponents just two yards per rushing attempt from 1966 to 1968, helping North Texas to a 23-5-1 record. Greene was a consensus All-America in 1968.
In 1969, Greene became the first North Texas player to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he quickly became the cornerstone of Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1969 on his way to 10 All-Pro selections, five first-team All-Pro honors, and four Super Bowl championships. Greene was also the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1972 and 1974.
The prestigious list is comprised of a First Team and a Second Team, with 11 players on offense, 11 on defense, a kicker, a punter and an all-purpose player on both teams.
The full story is available here.
Considered not only the greatest player in North Texas history, Greene is also considered the greatest defensive tackle in the history of football. Greene, a three-time Missouri Valley All-Conference player, anchored a defensive line at North Texas that allowed opponents just two yards per rushing attempt from 1966 to 1968, helping North Texas to a 23-5-1 record. Greene was a consensus All-America in 1968.
In 1969, Greene became the first North Texas player to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he quickly became the cornerstone of Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1969 on his way to 10 All-Pro selections, five first-team All-Pro honors, and four Super Bowl championships. Greene was also the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1972 and 1974.
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