L. C. Greenwood
Encyclopedia
L.C. Henderson Greenwood (born September 8, 1946 in Canton, Mississippi
) is a former American football
defensive end
for the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers
.
(now University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff) where he became a member of the Beta Theta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma
fraternity. He was also named the 1968 Ebony
All-American defensive lineman in the Southwestern Athletic Conference
(SWAC).
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
in 1969
in the 10th round. In , he became the starting
left defensive end. One of the four members of Pittsburgh's famous Steel Curtain
, he would remain there until retirement in . Greenwood, who was 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 245 pounds, was a six-time Pro Bowl
player and was named to NFL All-Pro
teams in 1974
and 1975
. He was named All-AFC five times. He also led the Steelers six times in sack
s with a career total of 73½ (sacks were an unofficial stat at the time). According to records kept by the Steelers, Greenwood's highest single-season sack total was 11, which he attained in 1974. He further had 14 fumble recoveries in his career, including five in 1971, which tied for the NFL lead. He had 4.7 in the 40-yard dash, and that speed allowed him to dominate his position.
In Super Bowl IX
against the Minnesota Vikings
, Greenwood batted down three passes from Fran Tarkenton
. In Super Bowl X
against the Dallas Cowboys
, he sacked Roger Staubach
four times. Greenwood played in all four of the Steelers Super Bowl
victories in the 1970s. Unofficially, Greenwood had five sacks in the four Super Bowl appearances.
Greenwood was known for wearing gold-colored shoes on the football field. (By today's NFL rules, Greenwood would be fined since it would not be in uniform with the rest of the team.) Greenwood was called “Hollywood Bags” because he claimed he kept his bags packed and ready so he could leave for Hollywood at a moment's notice. He was a finalist in the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame
voting but did not get elected. He was again a finalist in 2006, but was not elected. Greenwood has stated that while he would be honored if he were to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he would not be upset if he were not elected, feeling that the Steelers already in the Hall (in particular, "Mean Joe" Greene
) represent the entire team's accomplishments.
In 1991, Greenwood was named to the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team and in 2007 he was named to the Steelers All-Time team.
Board.
Canton, Mississippi
Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi. The population was 12,911 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of the metropolitan area surrounding the state capital, Jackson....
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
College career
Greenwood graduated from Arkansas AM&NUniversity of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a historically black university located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1873, it is the oldest HBCU and the second oldest public institution in the state of Arkansas . UAPB is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
(now University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff) where he became a member of the Beta Theta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
fraternity. He was also named the 1968 Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
All-American defensive lineman in the Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
(SWAC).
NFL career
He was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in 1969
1969 NFL Draft
The 1969 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, the third and final year in which the NFL and American Football League held a joint draft of college players. The draft took place on January 28–29, 1969....
in the 10th round. In , he became the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
left defensive end. One of the four members of Pittsburgh's famous Steel Curtain
Steel Curtain
The Steel Curtain was the nickname given to the front four of the famous defensive line of the American football team Pittsburgh Steelers during their 1970s dynasty years. This defense was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won 4 Super Bowls...
, he would remain there until retirement in . Greenwood, who was 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 245 pounds, was a six-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
player and was named to NFL All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
teams in 1974
1974 All-Pro Team
The following is a list of players that were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team, the Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro team and the Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly All-Pro teams in 1974. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP, NEA, and PFWA teams...
and 1975
1975 All-Pro Team
The following is a list of players that were named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team, the Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro team and the Pro Football Writers Association, and Pro Football Weekly All-Pro teams in 1975. Both first- and second- teams are listed for the AP, NEA, and PFWA teams...
. He was named All-AFC five times. He also led the Steelers six times in sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s with a career total of 73½ (sacks were an unofficial stat at the time). According to records kept by the Steelers, Greenwood's highest single-season sack total was 11, which he attained in 1974. He further had 14 fumble recoveries in his career, including five in 1971, which tied for the NFL lead. He had 4.7 in the 40-yard dash, and that speed allowed him to dominate his position.
In Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Greenwood batted down three passes from Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
. In Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season....
against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, he sacked Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
four times. Greenwood played in all four of the Steelers Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
victories in the 1970s. Unofficially, Greenwood had five sacks in the four Super Bowl appearances.
Greenwood was known for wearing gold-colored shoes on the football field. (By today's NFL rules, Greenwood would be fined since it would not be in uniform with the rest of the team.) Greenwood was called “Hollywood Bags” because he claimed he kept his bags packed and ready so he could leave for Hollywood at a moment's notice. He was a finalist in the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
voting but did not get elected. He was again a finalist in 2006, but was not elected. Greenwood has stated that while he would be honored if he were to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he would not be upset if he were not elected, feeling that the Steelers already in the Hall (in particular, "Mean Joe" Greene
Joe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
) represent the entire team's accomplishments.
In 1991, Greenwood was named to the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team and in 2007 he was named to the Steelers All-Time team.
After football
Greenwood is now the president of an electrical and plumbing supplies company. On July 20, 2006, at the regularly scheduled board meeting, L.C. Greenwood was nominated to the Pittsburgh Parking AuthorityPittsburgh Parking Authority
The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is a municipal authority that owns and operates public parking facilities in Pittsburgh....
Board.
External links
- Biography as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2006.