FIRST North Texas State University Player Taken in the First Round of the NFL Draft - Denton, TX
N 33° 12.248 W 097° 09.618
14S E 671471 N 3675425
Joe Greene was the first player from North Texas State University -- today's University of North Texas -- to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft, as noted by a plaque on his statue in front of the University's Apogee Stadium.
Waymark Code: WM12ZP5
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/15/2020
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This bronze statue of Mean Joe Greene was unveiled outside of the University's Apogee Stadium on September 29, 2018. Besides leaving his mark here, Greene went onto have a Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The statue stands twelve feet high: Eight of that is Mean Joe himself, a little bigger than life, while the other four is the pedestal. A bronze plaque on the back of the pedestal lists contributors to the project, with notable names like Coca Cola, Joe and Charlotte Greene, and Steeler teammate, Franco Harris, and a black marble plaque on the front reads "UNT" and "Mean Joe Greene."
Two black marble plaques are on each side of the pedestal, each featuring a photo of Mean Joe in his uniform below "UNT". They read:
Considered not only the greatest player in North Texas history, "Mean" Joe Greene was rated the greatest defensive tackle in the history of football when the NFL named its Top 100 Greatest Players. A three-time Missouri Valley All-Conference player, Greene anchored a North Texas defensive line that allowed just two yards per rushing attempt from 1966 to 1968, helping North Texas to a 23-5-1 record. Greene was consensus All-American in 1968.
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In 1969, Greene was the first North Texas player taken in the first round of the NFL draft, selected fourth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His achievements included 1969 Defensive Rookie of the Year, 10 Pro Bowl selections, five first-team All-Pro honors, Defensive Player of the Year in 1972 and 1974, NFL Man of the Year in 1979, and four Super Bowl championships. Greene is a member of the North Texas Athletics, College Football, and Pro Football Halls of Fame, and his No. 75 was retired by UNT and by the Steelers.
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Mean Joe really isn't "Mean Joe"; he was simply tough on the field, and the origin of his nickname is a little cloudy. Given the school's nickname is the Mean Green, and his last name is "Greene", it was inevitable that there would be a merger. A 1979 Super Bowl commercial was key to showing off the friendlier side of Mean Joe, and UNT followed it up with their own spot when they introduced retro jerseys in anticipation of this statue's unveiling.
Incidentally, the first pick in the draft that year was made by the Buffalo Bills as they selected Orenthal James Simpson...