NFL Hall of Famer Greene, 58, dead
Kevin Greene, one of the most terrorizing pass-rushers of all time, died Monday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced.
The former Steelers star linebacker was 58.
The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
“The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Kevin Greene,” Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker said 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.”
Before he hunted NFL quarterbacks and tallied 160 career sacks, the third-highest total in league history, Greene walked on and starred at Auburn.
The Schenectady native known for his blond locks was drafted in the fifth round of the 1985 draft by the Los Angeles Rams, where he would spend more than half of his 15-year career.
But “the time of my life and for my family was our three years in Pittsburgh,” Greene said in 2016 before being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Greene signed as a free agent with the Steelers in 1993 following eight years with the Rams. He was a two-time Pro Bowler in three seasons with the Steelers and led the league with 14 sacks in 1994.
Greene later served as an assistant coach with the Jets.
“We lost an amazing player and person this morning,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Kevin’s energy and enthusiasm were inspiring for our team as well as our fans.”
After the Steelers lost in the Super Bowl following the 1995 season, Greene signed with the Carolina Panthers, where he would lead the league in sacks again with 14.5 in 1996.
The five-time Pro Bowler also spent one season in San Francisco.
Following his playing days, Greene served as an outside linebackers coach for the Packers (2009-13) and Jets (2017-18).
Greene is survived by his wife Tara and children Gavin and Gabrielle.