Saturday was a historic day for the University of North Texas Athletics. On the field, the Mean Green dropped their first game of the season to go 4-1, but off the field, they immortalized the greatest athlete in school history.
Charles Edward Greene, better known as “Mean Joe” Greene, played on the varsity team at North Texas State — as the school was known at the time — from 1966 to 1968 and was simply dominant from start to finish.
In his three seasons, North Texas State went 23-5-1 and held opposing ball carriers to under two yards per carry. Greene made the Missouri Valley All-Conference team all three years and after his senior year, was a consensus selection to the 1968 All-America team.
Once Greene broke onto the NFL scene for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he immediately made an impact. By the end of his 13-year career, he amassed 10 Pro Bowls, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and four Super Bowls, just to name a few of his accolades.
In his retirement, the Hall of Famer often returned home to his alma mater, and now he is a staple of the athletics at the University of North Texas. The school unveiled a statue in his honor on Saturday.
“When you look at Joe, he’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game, but his contributions to North Texas go beyond that,” Athletic Director Wren Baker said. “He’s been a supporter, a regent, he’s just had a tremendous impact on this campus in many ways, so it made all the sense to honor him.”
Baker and the university as a whole felt this long overdue for Greene who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio back in 1987. Greene is at almost every home game and even traveled to Arkansas two weeks ago to watch the Mean Green defeat the Razorbacks.
“The statue is awesome for Joe, it’s a long time coming,” Head football coach Seth Littrell said. “One of the all-time greats, an ambassador for our program, and we’re very blessed with the things he does around our program and for our program. I’m very excited for that and it will be exciting for our fans.”
The football player Greene was on the field and the man he is now do not differ in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to his ability to communicate effectively and bring out the best in those around him.
“Joe is very humble, deliberate, not the loudest in the room, but if you do the research on him his leadership ability with his teammates and coaches was off the charts,” Baker said. “Joe as a player, coach, leader, and regent understands how to get the best out of people and how to get people to work together to be their collective best.”
Now, with his statue unveiled, and his name and presence being permanently tied to North Texas, Greene remembers where it all started. He is happy to say his first-grade teacher was a major influence in his life and helped mold him into the man he became both in school and outside of it.
He hopes to continue to help others grow anywhere he is able to, but the Temple, Texas native will always have a spot in his heart for this university.
The College Football Playoff Foundation is honoring Greene with his own “It Only Takes One” video which reflects on his upbringing and those who touched his life and made him into the man he was and still is. He talks about the one teacher who made a significant impact on his life — his first grade teacher, Mrs. Powell, who was instrumental in getting him to pay attention in class and set the tone for his career as a student.
“Joe Greene is a legend and inspiration to so many, from his days at North Texas to winning Super Bowls with the Steelers,” said Britton Banowsky, CFP Foundation Executive Director “None of that would have been possible if not for the teachers in his life that molded him into a man. The message of ‘It Only Takes One’ videos resonates with everyone, no matter how old we are or where we come from. Joe is a role model we wanted to include when reminding everyone how important teachers are. We are honored to have him part of our efforts.”
Author contact: MatthewBrune@my.unt.edu
