only former UNT player so honored. His number 75 jersey is retired by the North Texas football team, and he was inducted into the UNT Hall of Fame in 1981. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987, a class which also included Larry Csonka, Len Dawson, Jim Langer, Don Maynard, Gene Upshaw, and John Henry Johnson. The Hall of Fame Selection Committee named Greene to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, honoring the best players of the decade. In 1994, he was selected by a 15-person panel of NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame officials, former players, and media representatives to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team as one of the greatest players of the NFL's first 75 years. In 1999, Greene was deemed the 14th greatest player of all time by The Sporting News. He was ranked 13th on The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players by the NFL Network in 2010. Greene is regarded among the greatest players in Steelers franchise history. His number 75 jersey was officially retired at halftime during the Steelers' game against the rival Baltimore Ravens on November 2, 2014. Greene also briefly wore number 72 during his rookie season before switching to his more familiar 75 mid-season. He is only the second Steeler to have his jersey formally retired, the first being Ernie Stautner. However, the Steelers had not reissued No. 75 since Greene's retirement, and it had been understood long before 2014 that no Steeler would ever wear it again. The University of North Texas, Greene's alma mater, unveiled a statue of him outside of Apogee Stadium in 2018. Greene is regarded as the most famous alum of UNT. In 2015, the Mean Joe Greene Community Football Field was dedicated in Greene's honor in his hometown of Temple, Texas. In 2019, Greene was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team as one of the greatest players of the NFL's first 100 years. References Bibliography External links 1946 births Living people People from Temple, Texas African-American players of American football All-American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players American male film actors American football defensive tackles American male television actors Arizona Cardinals coaches College Football Hall of Fame inductees Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players Miami Dolphins coaches National Football League announcers National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winners North Texas Mean Green football players