Mean Joe Greene was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 4th pick of the NFL draft in 1969, and spent his entire career with them until his retirement in 1981. Greene was a cornerstone of the Steel Curtain defense that won four Super Bowls in the 1970's. His best championship performance was in Super Bowl IX, when he became the first player ever to record an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in a single Super Bowl.

His end stats were 181 games, 66 sacks(unofficially, since sacks were not an official statistic until 1982), 16 fumble recoveries, 1 helmet smashed, & 1 football thrown into the stands in disgust.

Greene was twice named NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1972, 1974), played in 10 Pro Bowls, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Although the Steelers do not officially retire uniform numbers, his number 75 has not been reissued since his retirement. In 1999, he was ranked number 14 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranked Steeler and second-ranked defensive tackle behind Bob Lilly.