Throwback Thursday: Steelers HOFer Kevin Greene turns pro wrestler
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There are a few free agent NFL players that the Pittsburgh Steelers grabbed off the market that became stars while wearing the black and gold; very few landed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Linebacker Kevin Greene was an anomaly. While Steelers fans know quite a bit about his playing career, many may not know that the Hall of Famer once turned from professional football to the ring as a professional wrestler, however.
The football career
Greene, a former Auburn Tiger, was selected by the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL (United States Football League) and later by the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL in 1985. For two seasons, Greene played defensive end in the nickel defense for the Rams. He moved to outside linebacker, but the Rams changed their defensive scheme in 1991; they opted for a 4-3 which was unfamiliar territory for Greene.
In 1993, in a big move, the Steelers reached out to Greene during free agency, and Greene agreed to a contract. In an exclusive interview here on Steel City Underground, Greene said,
“I signed with the Steelers in 1993 because: They employed a 3-4 defense and they wanted me to play Left Outside Linebacker. I feel in love with the city of Pittsburgh. Coming through the Ft. Pitt Tunnel for the first time and seeing the city of Pittsburgh in all it’s glory was awesome.”
Greene moved back to left outside linebacker opposite Greg Lloyd and became the “bookends” in the Steelers’ “Blitzburgh” defense under head coach Bill Cowher.
Despite playing in Pittsburgh for just three seasons in his Hall of Fame career, Greene made a major impact as a member of the Steelers defense and chose to enter the Hall of Fame as a member of the team despite going to the Carolina Panthers before retiring from playing in the NFL.
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- Exclusive interview with 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Greene
- What former Steelers say about Kevin Greene
- Steelers Throwback Thursday: Roethlisberger and O-line face-off with Big Show, Jericho live
Pro wrestler
Greene joined a handful of celebrities that WCW (World Championship Wrestling) president Eric Bischoff brought in during the late 1990s to generate mainstream publicity. He appeared in storylines that involved “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, and fellow NFL alumnus Steve McMichael.
In one WCW arc, McMichael’s wife Debra was flirted with by Flair. After being chased out of the arena by Miss Elizabeth and Woman, Debra returned to the ring with a metal briefcase. With Randy Savage as coach, McMichael hit Greene with it in order to solidify his position as one of the “Four Horsemen.”
In 1997, one year later, Greene returned during the Great American Bash to face “Mongo” McMichael in the ring over the betrayal. Jeff Jarrett attempted to repeat the briefcase smash, but Greene got his revenge, as seen below in this footage:
On June 22, 1998, Greene faced The Giant on WCW Monday Nitro. The match ended when Bill Goldberg, a former Rams teammate of Greene’s, made his appearance in the ring.
Due to contract stipulations that prevented Greene from wrestling while with the Panthers in 1998, Greene appeared in just five pro wrestling matches, four on pay-per-view.
“It sucked. I’ll just be honest with you,” Goldberg said per Mike Lacett. “I’m sure it was hard for him because he had to give up something that he loved.”
“He understands what it took to reach such a high level in the NFL. I’m sure some of the same principals would have carried over into wrestling and he would learn what he needed to learn,” Bischoff was quoted by Lacett. “No doubt in my mind he could have.”
In the end, Greene earned the glory of wearing the gold jacket of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after coaching with Jason Gildon as assistant linebackers coach during training camp with the Steelers in 2008 before being hired by the Green Bay Packers in 2009 under Dom Capers. In 2013, he left the pros to coach his son’s high school football team. Greene’s last two-year stint in the NFL was with the New York Jets as their outside linebackers coach under Todd Bowles.
Greene, forever memorialized as a Steelers great, is a member of the team’s Hall of Honor and passed away in December 2020. He’ll long be remembered for his athletic contributions to professional sports and remains a prominent figure in Pittsburgh sports history.
