There’s not much that “Mean” Joe Greene hasn’t done in football. He won four Super Bowls, has been inducted into both the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame. He was a part of one of the most memorable commercials of all-time and was an anchor on the Pittsburgh Steelers famed Steel Curtain, probably the greatest defense in NFL history.
But as of the first week of May, 2017, Greene wasn’t a member of Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. That changed on Saturday when, per Bryan DeArdo of Pit.247sports.com, he was officially inducted.
Greene dominated on the field at Temple, Texas’ Dunbar High School. But thanks to his team’s mediocre record and segregation throughout southern college teams, his options out of high school were limited. But he eventually went to North Texas, and following a standout career there was drafted fourth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1969 NFL Draft. He played with Pittsburgh for his entire career (1969-1981) and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
The only question left for the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame is, what in the world took so long?
Certainly, high school football in Texas is as strong as it is anywhere in the country. But this is one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. In the more than 50 years that have passed since his high school days ended, it’s hard to believe that Greene couldn’t have found his way in sooner.
But whatever the reason, it’s better late than never.