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This is a little bit of a rant so bear with me on my soapbox if you will. Not sure what he is up to or if he would be interested, but I think we should create a full time positon for Mean Joe similar to what UT does with Vince Young in Austin. Mean Joe should have a restaurant names after him in Denton and he should be at all or most of the games with his NFL Hall of Fame jacket on and his superbowl rings shining brightly. This guy is such a jewel for North Texas and we owe it to him to provide him this opportunity and it would be stupid for us not to utilize his fame and recognition in his twilight years. Boxer Jake LaMotta and singer Frank Sinatra had similar roles for entertainment establishments.

Charles Edward Greene was born in Temple in 1946. His aunt nicknamed him Joe because she thought he could be a prizefighter like Joe Louis, the heavyweight world champion. “Joe” was Greene’s first nickname. He grew up to become a football legend instead of a prizefighter. Despite Greene’s talent, Temple’s Dunbar High School Panthers were mediocre. Because Dunbar, a Black school, couldn’t play white schools, Greene wasn’t recruited after his graduation in 1966. The Southwest Conference wouldn’t integrate for at least another year. North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) offered Greene a football scholarship. His college path was softened by Abner Haynes and Leon King, who broke the Texas college color barrier a decade earlier at NTSU. read more: https://dentonrc.com/news/landmarks_and_legacies/mean-joe-greene-was-a-tough-football-player-but-a-nice-guy/article_0687f394-a5fe-514e-b687-f90b3d503585.html

6)---"Mean" Joe Greene Joe Greene got his nickname playing collegiate football for the North Texas Mean Green defense. One of the best defensive linemen in NFL history, Greene was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers "Steele Curtain" defensive line in the 1970s. Greene, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of fame in 1987, played 13 seasons in the NFL (1969-1981), all with the Steelers. Read More: https://espn1420.com/ul-softball-stays-put-in-latest-rpi-listings-2/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Joe Greene met his wife Agnes at the University of North Texas over 50 years ago. This summer, Joe Greene was back near campus to announce the start of the Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Memorial Scholarship named in his late wife's honor. Agnes Greene passed away after battling breast cancer in 2015. The scholarships will be presented annually to students at North Texas whose parents have battled cancer, with breast cancer "being a particular focus since that tragically took her life." “Not only the scholarship, but my kids, Major, Delon and JoQuel, they wanted to honor their mother in that way, to put a scholarship in her name at her school that she loved so much, to provide assistance to young people whose parents also had issues with cancer,” Greene said, via Steelers.com's Teresa Varley. “It’s a doubly important angle. It’s honoring her, and helping others. It’s important for me that Agnes, her name will be serving a wonderful purpose at North Texas and students will have an opportunity to extend their education. read more: https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/Article/Pittsburgh-Steelers-Joe-Greene-honors-late-wife-with-scholarship-fund-119551445/

NFL Great Joe Greene and The Greene Family Foundation present: The second annual Nibble & Mingle Fundraiser benefitting the UNT Foundation’s Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Memorial Scholarship. The Greene Family Foundation along with NFL Hall of Famer Joe Greene have partnered with two-time Top Chef Alumni, James Beard nominee and author Chef John Tesar of The Knife Restaurant, and The Highland Hotel to host the 2nd Annual Nibble & Mingle Fundraiser for the UNT Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Scholarship. This event will feature culinary creations by Chef John Tesar; chefs from Nick and Sam’s, Dee Lincoln Prime, Common Table, Trompo Taco, Ten Ramen, Cattleack Barbeque and Dot’s. Special guests attending include host Joe Greene and fellow NFL Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Mel Blount, Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, Charles Haley, Ken Houston, Rayfield Wright and Randy White. Additional guests attending include former Dallas Cowboy’s player Cliff Harris and former UNT and Baltimore Ravens’ player Zach Orr. As those attending socialize and mingle they will enjoy sounds from a student quartet from the renown UNT College of Music. Prior to the event, Mean Joe Greene will host an intimate champagne reception sponsored by Steve’s Wine Bar, located in Denton, TX. The reception will take place at 6 p.m. and is available for $250, which includes tickets to the champagne reception and main event. Space is limited with 20 tickets available for the reception. Artist Jared Emerson live will transform a blank canvass utilizing mediums such as charcoals, oils, acrylics, and graphite to craft an original portrait of one of our special invited guests. This original portrait will be available for purchase during our live auction. Additionally, auction items including: NFL Hall of Fame package: Two Hall of Fame Tailgate tickets held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame prior to the Hall of Fame Game • Two Hall of Fame game tickets featuring Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Ravens • Two Hall of Fame Pre-Enshrinement Tailgate tickets held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame • Two Enshrinement Seats witnessing the Class of 2018 being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Steelers Training Camp VIP package: • Two VIP tickets to the 2018 Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA • Two round trip tickets to Pittsburgh International Airport • Dinner at the Rogers Center and an autograph from two current Steelers players • Field level viewing of practice and Steelers Experience The first two recipients of the Agnes Lucille Craft Greene Scholarship were awarded in the 2017 Fall Semester. Recipients were either survivors of breast cancer or have a parent/legal guardian who has been affected by breast cancer. Join us for a memorable night in support of the foundation and a chance to change a student’s life. The Nibble & Mingle Fundraiser tickets are available for $125 per person or $1,000 for a table of 10. Register now online at https://www.prekindle.com/event/36932-nibbleandmingle-dallas June 29, 2018 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM The Highland Hotel 5300 E. Mockingbird Ln. Dallas, TX For Interviews with Mr. Greene contact: Delon Greene 972-821-9231 or edeloneg79@gmail.com Our foundation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Greenefamilyfoundation/

Let's beat Rice to celebrate! Hey, the Mean Joe wikipedia page almost has the story right! @FirefightnRick, can you improve it and provide the citation info from the Startlegram article you have?

Very passively watching the NFL draft tonight and thought occurred: If UNT is ever going to turn the corner permanently they need to get some players drafted in the first 3 rounds of the draft. The question is when was the last time we had player drafted in the first 3 rounds of the NFL draft? Have we ever had multiple players drafted in the first 4 rounds?

To any child of the 1970s, it still ranks as The Greatest Ad Ever: Mean Joe Greene swapping his Steelers jersey for some kid's bottled soft drink. Have a Coke and a smile ... and a good cry, why don't ya. The award-winning "Hey, Kid, Catch!" spot made its bow in the fall of '79, then found its way into the ad lineup during the Steelers-Rams Super Bowl in January 1980. Ever since it's been known as The Greatest Super Bowl Ad Ever -- hence its inclusion in CBS's Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2016, which airs Feb. 2. For that particular special, the network's done something really special, reuniting North Texas State University's star defensive tackle with The Kid (Tommy Okon) for a chitchat about the ad. Their meeting takes place in a sorta-familiar spot for Mean Joe: Apogee Stadium in Denton. (Aw, Fouts Field.) read more: http://www.guidelive.com/tv/2016/01/28/denton-mean-joe-greene-kid-reunite-talk-beloved-coke-ad

This year's series will have a decided Texas flavor. It begins Friday with "Mean" Joe Greene, the Temple native who starred at North Texas before becoming a mainstay of the Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defensive line and nemesis of the "Luv Ya Blue"-era Oilers. Also on the schedule are former Oilers quarterback Warren Moon, Oct. 3; former Sealy and SMU running back Eric Dickerson, Oct. 10; and former University of Texas Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, Oct. 31. Read more: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texans/article/New-season-of-A-Football-Life-to-feature-Texas-5745135.php

A growing number of North Texas grads likely don't even realize this, but one of the best defenders in the history of football played there and will finally have his number retired (again). Let that sink in; the Steelers boast names such as Bradshaw, Webster, Stallworth, Swann, Harris, Ham, Woodson, Blount, etc. and they have retired just one number. Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/mac-engel/2014/07/a-north-texas-legend-to-have-his-number-retired.html#storylink=cpy

North Texas alumni and former Pittsburgh Steeler defensive tackle Joe Greene waves towards the stands during the second half of the Heart of Dallas NCAA college football game against UNLV in Dallas. Joe Greene's No. 75 now belongs to the ages. The Steelers announced Wednesday, July 30, 2014, the team will retire the Hall of Fame defensive end's number during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 2. (AP Photo/Mike Stone, File) Read more: http://wkbn.com/2014/07/31/steelers-to-retire-hall-of-famer-greenes-no-75/

Greene, out of North Texas, arrived in the Steel City in 1969 and, over the next 13 seasons, anchored one of the most feared defensive units in league history. The "Steel Curtain" helped Pittsburgh reverse its fortunes and claim four Super Bowls from 1974 to 1979. Greene was named the NFL's top rookie in 1969, earned 10 Pro Bowl nominations and was named the league's best defensive player in 1972 and '74. The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder started in 172 of 181 contests before hanging up his cleats after the 1981 campaign. No Steelers player has worn Greene's iconic number since then. "I'm overwhelmed with emotions," Greene said. "I'm extremely pleased and I know that Dan (Rooney) and Art (Rooney II) put a lot of thought into making this decision. Retiring jerseys is not something that the Steelers do. That makes it even more significant." Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/07/30/3302767/mean-joe-finally-has-jersey-retired.html?sp=/99/104/

DENTON - Two video crews came to North Texas on a breath-takingly humid Wednesday morning to shoot at Apogee Stadium and Fouts Field. NFL Films dispatched a crew to shoot at feature on Joe Greene, who was interviewed on the field at Fouts Field, where Greene played his college ball in the 1960s. The crew also shot interviews with Greene at the Athletic Center and at Apogee Stadium. Meanwhile, a much larger crew set up camp on the field at Apogee Stadium to shoot a commercial - which featured a handful of players, including a quarterback getting planted on his back. Read more: http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062514aaa.html

I understand he's been out of football for awhile but he's still in great shape and would be someone that the players truly look up to. NFL Hall of Famer. Demands immediate respect from players and their families. Brings media attention big time. Would be a nice and fitting tribute to cap off a magnificent career at his alma mater. Longshot? Maybe he's not even interested --- but it's worth consideration. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_Joe_Greene http://meanjoegreene75.com/bio.html

The crowd of 38,380 seemed sparse in the 92,100-seat Cotton Bowl, and seemingly more than 38,000 of those fans were wearing their North Texas green, filling the stands behind their team’s sideline from end zone to end zone, not surprising with the campus located about 45 minutes from the stadium. Small clumps of Rebel red did their best to buoy UNLV, a near-touchdown underdog. The teams’ honorary captains were announced for the pregame coin toss, the first of many times the Rebels were outclassed on the field that day: UNLV’s representative was former cornerback Kevin Thomas, a decent enough player who had one interception in 24 career games with the Buffalo Bills. North Texas, meanwhile, was honored with the presence of Mean Green legend, Pro Football Hall of Famer and iconic Coca-Cola pitchman “Mean” Joe Greene, who still looked like he could sack someone at the age of 67. UNLV President Neal Smatresk gave Rebel fans the next cheer, though, one month before he takes over as North Texas’ president, when his ceremonial coin toss came up UNLV’s way. The crowd was quiet early, when the Rebels drove 95 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead on their first possession. And when the Mean Green were stopped on their next drive, it seemed like it might be UNLV’s day. But then the Rebels’ Keith Whitely muffed the punt, and North Texas parlayed the gift into a game-tying touchdown. UNLV never did regain its swagger. - See more at: http://vegasseven.com/2014/01/07/rebels-day-among-legends/#sthash.hZopVXWE.dpuf

Mean Joe Greene, the Hall of Fame defensive tackle who retired last week from the Steelers front office, has been around the NFL for almost half a century. And he doesnt like all the changes hes seen. Greene told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that money has become too much of a focus of players these days, and he says it frustrated him in recent years when he saw players on the Steelers make an issue of who was making what, instead of focusing on how they could all unite to win. The scary thing is that players have a one-upsmanship about money; they sign a contract and they like it until someone signs a bigger one and now they dont like it. I dont like that, Greene said, via ESPN.com. I dont begrudge anyone money but it disrupts the football team. Read more: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/09/mean-joe-greene-dislikes-how-money-has-changed-nfl-players/

Joe Greene today left his third job with the Steelers for a third time, and it looks as though this retirement will be permanent. The Steelers announced that the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman has retired after nine years working for Kevin Colbert as a special assistant for pro and college personnel. Voted by fans the best player in their history and considered their most important by team chairman Dan Rooney, Greene played all 13 of his NFL seasons for the Steelers after Chuck Noll made him his first draft pick as their coach in 1969 from North Texas State. He returned to them in 1987 as defensive line coach under Noll and served in that position for five years. Colbert then hired him as his special assistant in 2004. In Greene's 27 years working for the Steelers, he earned all six Super Bowl rings. "I was very fortunate to have worked for the Steelers, the Rooneys and Chuck. I know without a doubt the reason I got a job with Pittsburgh for coaching was because of Chuck. He trusted me as a guy who hadn't coached before and he thought I had the wherewithal to do it. I think he was right, I know he was right," Greene said, adding, "The Steelers have influenced everything I've done as an adult." Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-legend-joe-greene-retires-from-front-office-job-686511/#ixzz2SYk0vPa3