Kevin Greene makes the cut as a HOF finalist

Mike Spofford of Packers.com posted the story below about Kevin Greene and the fact that for the first time he has made the cut as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Green Bay Packers’ linebackers coach who has brought enthusiasm and a player’s attitude to the coaching ranks for the Packers, has been in Green Bay for the past three years and is probably most well known among the general public for his comments in last year’s Super Bowl that were caught on tape when he told linebacker Clay Matthews that “It is time…” Matthews consequently went out and forced the game-changing fumble by the Steelers’ Rashard Mendenhall.

Spofford’s story spells out the full field of finalists and gives us a look at the personal bio of Greene’s.

Greene named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Posted by Mike Spofford on January 7, 2012 – 3:27 pm 

A semifinalist three times previously, Packers Outside Linebackers Coach Kevin Greene for the first time has advanced to the finalist stage for potential induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Greene was named one of 17 finalists (15 modern-era and two senior nominees) by the Hall of Fame selection committee on Saturday. Former Packers GM Ron Wolf also was a semifinalist but did not advance to the finalist stage. For more on both individuals, please refer to a story posted earlier this week on packers.com.

The HOF selection committee will meet on Saturday, Feb. 4 (the day before Super Bowl XLVI) in Indianapolis to elect the 2012 class of inductees. Between four and seven of the finalists will be elected, but no more than five modern-era nominees can be elected in any one year. The class can grow to six or seven members if one or both of the senior nominees are chosen.

From the Hall of Fame’s press release on Saturday, below is the list of all of this year’s finalists (* denotes senior nominee), plus the synopsis on Greene’s career:

·         Jerome Bettis – Running Back – 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers

·         Tim Brown – Wide Receiver/Kick Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

·         Jack Butler* – Cornerback – 1951-59 Pittsburgh Steelers

·         Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins

·         Dermontti Dawson – Center – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers

·         Edward DeBartolo, Jr. – Owner – 1977-2000 San Francisco 49ers

·         Chris Doleman – Defensive End/Linebacker – 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers

·         Kevin Greene – Linebacker/Defensive End – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers

·         Charles Haley – Defensive End/Linebacker – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys

·         Cortez Kennedy – Defensive Tackle – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks

·         Curtis Martin – Running Back – 1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets

·         Bill Parcells – Coach – 1983-1990 New York Giants, 1993-96 New England Patriots, 1997-99 New York Jets, 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys

·         Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins

·         Willie Roaf – Tackle – 1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs

·         Will Shields – Guard – 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs

·         Dick Stanfel* – Guard – 1952-55 Detroit Lions, 1956-58 Washington Redskins

·         Aeneas Williams – Cornerback/Safety – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams

KEVIN GREENE

Linebacker/Defensive End … 6-3, 247 … Auburn… 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers … 15 seasons, 228 games … Selected by Rams in 5th round (113th player overall) in 1985 draft … Played primarily on special teams as rookie, only season he didn’t register a sack  … Did not have any starts in second season, but played in all 16 games and managed seven sacks … Added 6.5 sacks in 1987 and by fourth season was bona fide pass rusher for Rams, registering career-high 16.5 sacks, including career-best 4.5 sacks in win over 49ers in season finale that clinched playoff spot for Rams … Following year matched his 16.5 sacks total … Had double-digit sack totals ten times, second in record book at the time … Only time missed recording 10 sacks in any of last eight seasons was 1995 when he had team-leading nine sacks for Steelers … Named to Pro Bowl five times (once with the Rams, twice with Steelers and Panthers) … Selected first-team All-Pro, 1989 with Rams, 1994 with Pittsburgh and 1996 with Carolina … Captured league sack title twice, 1994 and 1996 … A member of NFL’s All-Decade Team of 1990s … Played in six conference championship games and one Super Bowl … Led team in sacks 11 times and amassed 160 total sacks, third all-time at time of retirement … Also had three safeties, 26 opponent fumble recoveries, and five interceptions … Born July 31, 1962 in New York, New York.

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