Legendary pass-rusher Kevin Greene passed away at the age of 58 on Monday.
It is a sad day in the NFL and college football world, as pass-rushing superstar Kevin Greene passed away at the age of 58.
Greene spent 15 seasons in the NFL with four different franchises, most notably with the Los Angeles Rams (1985-92), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1993-95) and the Carolina Panthers (1996, 1998-99). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 2016. In college, Greene was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year playing for Pat Dye’s Auburn Tigers.
“The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Kevin Greene,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker in a statement. “I regarded him as a personal friend and a true Hall of Famer in every sense. He possessed the most incredible can-do attitude of anyone I ever met.”
“He was a great player, but more than that, he was a great man. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kevin’s wife, Tara, and their entire family. We will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration for future generations. The Hall of Fame flag will be flown at half-staff in Kevin’s memory.”
Kevin Greene inspired a generation of pass-rushers with his energetic play
Energy was probably the best way to describe what Greene brought to his football team. The Granite City, Illinois native initially came to Auburn University because of the school’s ROTC program. After a few years on campus, he famously walked on the football team, becoming one of the most celebrated players in the history of the Auburn football program.
Greene was a five-time Pro Bowler, a three-time First-Team All-Pro and led the NFL in sacks twice in 1994 with the Steelers and in 1996 with the Panthers. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year during his first season in Charlotte. Greene retired after the 1999 campaign with 160 career sacks. He later went into coaching, winning a Super Bowl on the 2010 Green Bay Packers.
Sacks were a relatively new statistic in the NFL when Greene made his league debut in 1985. His relentless pursuit of the quarterback and his larger-than-life personality helped make him an unstoppable force in the NFL for the better part of two decades. Though it took a while for him to earn Canton enshrinement, you cannot tell the story of the NFL or Auburn football without Greene.
Greene’s impact on the football field left an indelible mark on every team he played for.