Joe Greene returns to the Steelers

March 8, 2004

By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com

PITTSBURGH - Former Steelers defensive tackle Joe Greene is returning to where his Hall of Fame playing career began - Pittsburgh.

Greene was hired by the Steelers as special assistant/player personnel and arrived in Pittsburgh on Monday to embark on his new career.

Greene, the Steelers number one draft choice in 1969, was an assistant coach with the team from 1987-91 under head coach Chuck Noll. Greene then spent four seasons (1992-95) with the Miami Dolphins as their defensive line coach and was with the Arizona Cardinals since leaving the Dolphins.

Video: Joe Greene talks about return to Pittsburgh
Video: Joe Greene wants to head back to Super Bowl
Video: Greene, Art Rooney, II, Dan Rooney, Bill Cowher and Kevin Colbert head into press conference

"I am very excited about the possibility," said Greene. "I am confident I can lend something to a historically great organization. I am proud to be a part of it. This team, through the years, has always been competitive. They have been on the cutting edge of good things in the National Football League and I want to be a part of it."

Joe Greene talked about his new job in a press conference on Monday at the Steelers UPMC Sports Performance Complex.

This is the first time that Greene will work in player personnel, but he feels his background has prepared him well for the new position.

"I have been scouting since the day I got drafted by the Steelers," said Greene. "We came here 1-13 and I followed the draft in the papers and I called everybody because we were trying to get some help after that 1-13 season. All of that time, from playing to coaching, it's players that help you to win. I have always been interested in finding out who that talent was that could help you.

"The love of football and wanting to compete and put myself and the organization in the best possible, finding the right people is key. Although the transfer is something a little different, I feel capable of doing it."

Video: Bill Cowher talks about Greene
Video: Joe Greene talks about new job
Video: Joe Greene talks about loyalty to team


Greene, who said that he would not like to coach any longer, talked to Steelers chairman Dan Rooney about six weeks ago regarding his new position. Greene met with director of football operations Kevin Colbert at the NFL combine and got a feel for what would be involved from him.

"I have always been excited and enthused about players," said Greene. "This is another opportunity. I have played, coached and now this. It's still football. I used to go to bed thinking about techniques, wake up thinking about techniques of how to help guys get better. Now I am looking at hips, feet and arms. I didn't sleep last night thinking about those kinds of things. What do you look for? What kind of guys are you looking for? What describes a winner? Those things are there."

Greene will start off by attending pro days for college prospects and will be involved with this year's draft mainly from an observation standpoint because of the timing of his arrival.

"Being that he is coming in at such a late date it will be more of a learning observation of what we do, rather than overbearing him with tons of evaluations in a short period of time," said Colbert. "We're going to take time to utilize his talents, but also incorporate him in what we do."

Greene, whose 13-year Steelers career included winning four Super Bowls, has always been associated with the black and gold and that isn't lost on those who are now with the organization.

"The thought of Joe coming back here, I remember saying to Mr. Rooney, I don’t see how there can be anything negative about that. Joe Greene being on a Pittsburgh Steelers practice field and being in this building when he comes in only seems right," said head coach Bill Cowher. "When you look at this football team and the tradition that exists, I talked with Joe a number of times, I remember last year at a golf outing talking about personnel and the draft that they just had in Arizona. He has been involved in the National Football League, but I don’t think there is any question that people still, when they think about Joe Greene, they think about the Pittsburgh Steelers. The opportunity to have him come back here and be a part of our organization is nothing but a plus. It is a positive. I am looking forward to seeing him around here and talking with him. He knows what this tradition means.

That Steelers tradition is definitely something that drew Greene back. He has a close bond with Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney, II. When he was asked about all of the changes to the team's facilities and if it still felt like the Steelers, Greene simply pointed to both Rooney's and said that's what the Steelers are all about, that it's the people that make the building.

"Being a Steeler has been in my blood for many, many years," said Greene. "Since the beginning. When I went to work elsewhere I put those groups in the forefront. But the Steelers blood was still there. The interest in what was going on in terms of the won-loss record for the Steelers was always there."