 |
 |
||
|
||
 |
|
|
The Man With the Golden Shoes During his first training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 1969, L.C. Greenwood was sitting on a hillside overlooking the practice fields at St. Vincent College when fellow rookie defensive lineman Clarence Washington told him: "Man, we should just get in your car and leave because we don't have a chance with all of the guys they have here." Those guys were high-round draft picks, free agents and players who already had NFL experience. Greenwood, who was drafted in the 10th round, wasn't supremely confident about his chances of making the team either, but he told Washington: "They brought me here, so they're going to have to send me away."
Like many of his former teammates, Greenwood - who turned 60 in September - settled in Pittsburgh after his playing days were over and has been successful as a businessman. Today he remains active with: Greenwood Enterprises, a coal, natural-gas and electricity marketing company; Greenwood-McDonald Supply, an electrical-supply company; and Greenwood Manufacturing, a company that produces packaging goods. His businesses have headquarters in Carnegie.
PM: Everyone remembers the quarterback sacks you piled up, but you weren't a one-dimensional player, were you? Greenwood: No, not at all. What I hung my hat on as a defensive lineman was that I could play both the run and the pass. Plus, I always thought there was more to it than the physical aspects of the game. You had to put your head in the game and know what was going on around you on both sides of the line. I dealt with the game from a mental standpoint as well as a physical standpoint. And along with that, I had the quickness to get done what I needed to get done. PM: You batted down three passes thrown by Fran Tarkenton of the Vikings in Super Bowl IX, and you sacked Roger Staubach of the Cowboys three times in Super Bowl X. Which of those performances was more memorable for you? Greenwood: For me, it was the second Super Bowl, because not only did I knock Roger down three times, I thought I played a heck of a football game, because I was all over the field. And even today, people don't know that I played that game with a hyper-extended shoulder and a bruised sternum. That happened to me in the first quarter, but I was able to finish the game. After that game, I could hardly breathe. Once the game was over, I was a hurtin' soldier. PM: What was the most gratifying part of that first Super Bowl victory for you? Greenwood: Well, I was going against Ron Yary, who's in the Hall of Fame now, and at the time was considered one of the best offensive tackles in the league. Before that game, all the writers and reporters had him handling me like he wanted to. And I don't really remember him being there too much, because everything Fran did, I just made sure he wasn't going to do it on that side. If anybody got Hall of Fame votes that day, I think I should have. PM: The Steelers' success in the '70s really started Pittsburgh's wild love affair with the team. It's still going strong, isn't it? Greenwood: It is. And it's really great to be part of the group that started it. When I came to this city in 1969, I remember having tickets and trying to give them to friends, and they'd say: 'No, that's OK. I don't think I'll come to the game, but I'll see you after.' Now you can't even get a ticket. PM: How much does it bother you that you're not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Greenwood: The only time I think about it is when guys like yourself start asking me those questions. My real feeling is that I didn't come into the NFL looking to make the Hall of Fame. I didn't even know they had a Hall of Fame. My objective once I got here was to be as good as I could be, and fortunately I was able to do that. I played with a team where I could let my talents be shown, and that's what I did. If somebody wants to give me an award, that's good with me. But I'm not looking for Hall of Fame votes or anything like that." Photo courtesy (upper): Pittsburgh Steelers Image Library / (lower): Pittsburgh Steelers / Mike Fabus
|
|
|
As it turned out, Greenwood and Washington - who played together in college at Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College (now University of Arkansas Pine Bluff) - both made the team that year, which happened to be Chuck Noll's first year as Steelers head coach. Washington spent only two seasons with Pittsburgh, but Greenwood remained for 13 remarkable years. At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Greenwood was blessed with an excellent combination of size and speed, which enabled him to have a long and successful career in the NFL.
Recently, Pittsburgh magazine caught up with Greenwood for a Q-and-A session. |
|
More from PITTSBURGH Magazine |
