Don’t close the curtain on “Mean” Joe Greene.
The Steelers had to quell a rumor that the franchise legend and Hall of Famer had died at 79, telling TMZ the report is “not accurate.”
Longtime NFL reporter John McClain independently verified that Greene is still alive.
“Fortunately, Joe Greene has NOT died. I got that from his family,” McClain tweeted Friday. “That report was fake news. Joe is doing great!!!”
The Daily Mail reported that the unfounded rumor spread on Friday and is the latest in what could be a troubling trend of entities having to correct erroneous reports about individuals’ health.
The outlet cited X user Johnny Cadillac, who has almost 61,000 followers, as the catalyst for the rumor spreading after he tweeted: “This day keeps getting worse!! R.I.P. Mean Joe Greene!!! 😔 🙏.”
YES Network refuted a claim last year that Yankees legend Paul O’Neill had cancer, which spread via social media and even included a made-up quote.
Greene, a former defensive tackle, is one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, winning four Super Bowls and earning two Defensive Player of the Year awards in his 13-year career from 1969-81.
He made 10 Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams.
Greene served as the star on Pittsburgh’s famous “Steel Curtain” defensive line that won four Super Bowls in a six-year stretch from 1975-80, and he’s the last living member of that unit.
L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes and Dwight White each previously died.
The Steelers won Super Bowls for the 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979 seasons during those six years.
Greene tallied 77 1/2 sacks during his career, recording a career-high 11 during the 1972 season.
He displayed remarkable durability, playing in at least 10 games in each season after being selected No. 4 in the 1969 NFL Draft, with his Hall of Fame biography claiming he opened his career by playing in 91 straight games and missed only nine regular-season games in his career.
“I just want people to remember me as being a good player and not really mean,” Greene is quoted as saying by the Hall of Fame. “I want to be remembered for playing 13 years and contributing to four championship teams. I would like to be remembered for maybe setting a standard for others to achieve.”
