Paying tribute to Browns tormentor Kevin Greene

Kevin Greene tormented the Browns, but was well-loved by all

One of the main faces of the ‘Blittzburgh’ defense in the mid-1990s, Kevin Greene passed away at the age of 58. Cleveland Browns fans remember him well no doubt as he was a player who always seemed to find success against them.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft, he quickly became a force with them and had a huge game the first time Cleveland saw him on the field. That came in 1990 as he missed their showdown in 1987, but once he saw the Browns, he racked up three sacks in a 38-23 win for L.A.

Then, he spent three seasons in Pittsburgh and went to a Super Bowl with them as well. While wearing the black and gold, he had 1.5 sacks against Cleveland in 1993 and one more in 1993.

The one bit of solace the Browns had was the fact that he recorded no sacks in his final two games against them in 1995. Even so, his 5.5 sacks against Cleveland left an impression as he was a player the Dawg Pound never wanted to see lined up against them.

Having said that, it was always about the game as fans couldn’t have complained about Kevin Greene the person. Off the field, he seemed to be loved by everyone.

Greene was an engaging personality who played with a wild passion that far exceeded his walk-on status at Auburn. He went on to become a huge star and even spent time in the WCW as a professional wrestler.

A 2016 inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Greene played 15 seasons in the NFL and had 160 sacks which puts him at third-highest in the NFL behind only Bruce Smith and Reggie White.

After his playing career ended, Greene got into coaching. He coached linebackers for the Green Bay Packers from 2009 through 2013 and then held the same position with the Jets from 2017 through 2018.

Our condolences go out to the Greene family, and we thank Kevin for all the memories.