Greene & Dickey tops in Sun Belt history

[MeanGreen61]

Greene, Dickey named tops in Sun Belt history

07:21 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 26, 2005

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

A media panel took a look at the history of the Sun Belt Conference this summer and decided North Texas featured the best the league has to offer in terms of a football player and coach.

Defensive end Joe Greene and coach Darrell Dickey were named the All-Time Sun Belt Football Player and Coach, respectively, on the league’s 30th anniversary team that was released on Monday during the opening session of the league’s annual media days.

A media panel selected 30 players, plus a coach for the team. Schools were allowed to nominate any athlete who played for the team, no matter when the school joined the conference.

Running back Abner Haynes, and defensive lineman Brandon Kennedy also represented UNT on the 30th anniversary team.

“North Texas’ football tradition is a lot better than people think,” Dickey said. “There have been some outstanding football players who have gone through North Texas. Maybe we have not gotten the recognition of the ‘bigger schools.’ That’s not a complaint, that is just the way it is, but I do think when you throw out Joe Greene you are talking about possibly the greatest defensive lineman to play the game. We have not been recognized as well as we could have been in the past. Maybe that will start happening more.”

Greene was an All-American at UNT in 1968 and went on to become a 10-time Pro Bowl selection with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. He helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls and is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Haynes played for UNT from 1957-59 and was named an All-American. The running back was the AFL Player of the Year in 1960 and had his number retired by the Kansas City Chiefs. Kennedy played for UNT from 2000-03 and is the only player in league history to be named Player of the Year twice.

Dickey credited his success in the Sun Belt to players like Kennedy.

“The way I look at it, it’s a nice reward, but I know that the only reason I earned that honor is I have been blessed with outstanding football players and assistant coaches,” Dickey said. “It’s nice to be recognized, but while I am coaching I try to look to the future instead of the past.”

UNT running back Patrick Cobbs credited the Mean Green’s success during the last few years in large part to Dickey.

“Coach Dickey is a players coach,” Cobbs said. “He will do everything in his power to help make you the best player you can be. That is what I like about him. We keep winning conference championships and have a 25-game conference winning streak. We didn’t do it alone, coach Dickey has the reins.”

Thomas reunion on hold

The reunion of North Texas running back Jamario Thomas with his brother DeMario has been put on hold.

DeMario signed with UNT after his senior season at Longview Springhill, but did not meet NCAA entrance requirements. He will attend Kilgore Junior College this season.

“Kilgore is a quality school that is close to his home,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. “He will be in a good environment and it may turn out pretty good for him to go down there and play and then come here a year or two later.”

UNT is already loaded at running back with Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs this season. The loss of DeMario Thomas leaves Evan Robertson of Pflugerville as the only running back in UNT’s freshman class.

“I am happy he has some place to play,” Jamario said. “Playing at Kilgore will give him a chance to get used to college life.”

[NTEagle08]

with all respect to the the players of the past, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to nominate players that played in the 50's for an all-Sun Belt 30th anniversary team. That list makes absolutely no sense, granted I know the Sun Belt doesn't have a long storied history with football, but still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to do it that way.

[SilverEagle]

North Texas was officially in the Missouri Valley Conference when Abner Haynes and Joe Greene played at NT. Unless the Missouri Valley Conference no longer exsists, I don't see how they could be counted as being part of Sun Belt history.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

North Texas was officially in the Missouri Valley Conference when Abner Haynes and Joe Greene played at NT. Unless the Missouri Valley Conference no longer exists, I don't see how they could be counted as being part of Sun Belt history.

The MVC does not exist in football but still exits as a basketball confernce.

A 30-year "All SunBelt Team" is crazy. If they worded it differently that might come up which a "team" of players that had current SunBelt teams as their alma mater,------ that could make some sense..

Edited July 26, 2005 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[drex]

Just for the record, Joe Greene played defensive tackle, not defensive end.