Remembering L.C. Greenwood - From Canton to Canton

"There’s a great spirit gone!" - Antony and Cleopatra, Act 1, scene 2

The great and proud Pittsburgh Steelers organization has lost yet another member of its family when Mr. L.C. Henderson Greenwood 'shuffled off this mortal coil' on Sunday, September 29, 2013. He was 67 years old. - http://tinyurl.com/muvo3dt

I'm not afraid to say that I shed a tear when I heard the news about the man known as "Hollywood Bags." L.C., the multiple All-Pro, Pro Bowl and Super Bowl player, just hit me in a different spot.

Maybe it was because L.C. was from Canton, Mississippi and that I'm from Greenville, MS. Maybe it's because his birthday was September 8th (1946) and my birthday (though I don't celebrate them) is on the 9th of September.

Or, to borrow a line from Mars Blackmon, 'maybe it's the shoes.'

L.C. was known for his golden shoes when he played. It was part of his flashy style. But, according to his website, it came about by accident.

"In 1973, L.C. Greenwood was diagnosed by his team doctor with a severe ankle injury. The doctor suggested that if he wanted to play in Sunday’s game, he would have to wear high top shoes. Tony Parisi was one of the Steelers trainers and he had a friend who owned a shoe store in the Strip District. At the shoe store Tony was given a couple of pairs of black Riddell high tops. Back in the locker room, Tony asked L.C. to try them on and they fit perfectly. L.C. said, “Tony, I can’t wear these shoes, they are too ugly!” So Tony offered to paint them white. L.C. did not like that idea because Joe Namath wore white high tops, so Tony offered to paint them gold. L.C. agreed. When the gold shoes appeared in his locker L.C. hesitantly put them on and wore them on game day, and the Steelers won. On the following Sunday, L.C. wore them once more, and the Steelers won again. However, the next game, L.C.’s ankle was on the mend so he wore his regular shoes…The Steelers lost. Suddenly, fan mail started to pour in for L.C. begging him to wear the gold shoes because when he did, the Steelers won. They had become a good luck charm. Always a fan pleaser, L.C. adorned the gold shoes for many of the games." - http://www.lcgreenwood68.com/l-c-s-gold-shoes/

Per ProFootballResearchera.org, the Steelers "were fined for a uniform violation every game L.C. played. While his teammates wore the standard black shoes that went with the uniform, Greenwood's were always a shiny gold. ... The Steelers never complained about the fines, L.C. was worth it."

And accident or not, it is a style that went along with his nickname.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo from "Steelers Years", L.C. "was called 'Hollywood Bags' because he claimed he kept his bags packed and ready so he could leave for Hollywood at a moment's notice."

It may sound funny, but, according to his official website, L.C. was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Though, he didn't appear in anything of note outside of NFL Films or cameo parts where he portrayed himself.

On the field, however, L.C. was always a star. A nightmare for quarterbacks, he used his height and reflexes to bat down numerous balls throughout his career. In Super Bowl IX, he smashed down two of Fran Tarkenton's pass attempts.

Quite the athlete, he had great speed (4.7/40) and unusual quickness for a man who was 6'6" 245 pounds. He was remarkably consistent and effective - in his 13 seasons he recorded 73.5 sacks and 14 fumble recoveries.

Recording five sacks in his four Super Bowl victories, L.C. had his best performance when the Steelers won Super Bowl X by sacking Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach four times in the 21-17 victory.

That touches on a particular, and particularly sore, subject. Despite all his credentials - six-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-AFC, two-time All-Pro and four-time World champion - he isn't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"The saddest thing is," said Steelers Dan Rooney, "he never got into the Hall of Fame,"

L.C. was a finalist for the Hall of Fame in 2005 and 2006, but was not elected. In recent years, however, there has been some clamor to get him into the Hall of Fame through the seniors committee.

Unfortunately now, though, it will be a posthumous induction when it happens. With there being several NFL players in the Hall of Fame with comparable numbers, it shouldn't have taken as long as it has in the first place.

L.C. Henderson Greenwood was born in Canton, Mississippi.

L.C. "Hollywood Bags" Greenwood deserves to live on forever in Canton, Ohio.

Hall Of Fame Eludes Jerome Bettis...Again

"Steelers Jerome Bettis fails to make Pro Football HOF after reaching the cut to 10 today." - Ed Bouchette

I needed time to calm down after hearing this news. All because of 80 yards.

I could understand why he hadn't made it before...Steelers bias?...not a "first-ballot" Hall of Famer?...other running backs ahead of him? Various reasons to fall back on for debate as to why he hadn't been inducted yet. Yet, he missed it by 80 yards.

The third was supposed to have been the charm for The Bus. He was supposed to have pulled into his last stop this year - in Canton. Instead, seven others will wear the mustard-colored jackets at the Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies August 3rd, 2013.

All because of 80 yards!

Why do I keep saying that? Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Trib Total Media tweeted this from his Twitter (@arobinson_Trib) account: "HOF selectors spent more than 30 minutes debating Bettis. One hangup: his 3.9 yards average. 80 more yards and he hits 4.0."

To help make his point more lucid, last year's HOF inductee running back Curtis Martin ran for 14,101 yards in 11 years and finished with a 4.0 average. Bettis? 13,662 yards in 13 years finishing with the aforementioned 3.9 average. Thus, Martin got the edge last year...and most thought Bettis would get in this year. Instead, the third charm felt more like a third strike.

As Ed Bouchette also wrote, however: "Maximum of 7 make Pro Football HOF. Bettis candidacy was his strongest yet. Should make it, maybe 2014." Maybe. Hopefully.

Nonetheless, as If It Ain't Steel has written before, Bettis was the best truly big running back in NFL history. Period. End of sentence.

The "first ballot" nonsense has always gotten on my nerves: A Hall of Famer is a Hall of Famer. This should've been the year the bowler who's built like a bowling ball and who was a multi-year Pro Bowler was to roll a strike. Instead, not even a seven/ten split.

Those seven new Hall of Famers who did make it are legendary coach Bill Parcells, Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Larry Allen, the wide receiver who 'only caught touchdowns', Cris Carter, Green Bay Packers linebacker Dave Robinson and Curly Culp. Larry and Moe didn't make the cut. (Actually, Culp was an Pro Bowl defensive lineman for the KC Chiefs and Houston Oilers.)

To add insult to an already injurious weekend, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden was a first-ballot inductee (sorry, Steelers fans, I hate it but he deserves it), and the chapter 13-filing, Tourette-Syndrome having, diarrhea-of-the-mouth spewing Warren Sapp who'll find a way to hock his jacket within a year's time.

So, let's review a rundown of this weekend: the Ravens are in the Super Bowl ('nuff said), they're playing the San Francisco 49ers (possible 6-0 SB record), Bettis doesn't get into the HOF, and then Ogden and Warren B**ch Tits do get inducted.

Yeah...I'm going to bed until Monday.

At least the NFL provided a parting gift...

Dermontti Dawson And Jack Butler: Hall Of Famers Defining Greatness

Historian and writer H.G. Wells once said that a man's greatness could be measured by 'what he leaves to grow, and whether he started others to think along fresh lines' with a "vigor that persisted after" him.

Certain men in the history of the NFL (players, coaches and owners) have done just that: some with pomp and braggadocio, and others with much quiet humility. Either way, their greatness couldn't be denied. For Dermontti Dawson and Jack Butler, Saturday it no longer was.

Dermontti Dawson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the University of Kentucky in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft. Before taking over at center, Dawson actually played next to Mike Webster, a Steeler legend at center, starting five games at guard his rookie season. 

Drafted in 1974, Iron Mike anchored the Steelers offensive line, "Webster's Warriors", from 1976-1988, succeeding Ray Mansfield who had the job from 1966 until Webster took over. So, Dawson had big shoes to fill. Multiple big shoes. He would succeed in grand fashion.

Referring to the opening quote from Wells, Dawson would go on to succeed in just that way: leaving a vigor that persisted after him in the form of a plethora of linemen and coaches who emulate and praise him. 

“I think for us as offensive linemen we have an appreciation when you see someone that was special at that position," said Steelers offensive tackle Max Starks. "Dermontti was the greatest center I ever watched play. There were a lot of great centers that came through the Steelers organization and played in the NFL, but for us he was our standard for what offensive linemen, especially the center position, should be. He did what was unheard of at the time. He had a special ability, a unique ability. He was a big, strong guy but was so quick and could do things that now every offensive lineman is expected to do."

He added, “I think a lot of younger kids are looking at the type of player he was and you are seeing a lot more athletic centers in this league, pulling on screens and getting out and being a lead blocker. There are characteristics that Maurkice [Pouncey] has that Dermontti had." 

You simply never had a center pull like was referred to by Starks, until Dawson. Plainly put, he caused ones to "think along fresh lines" and changed how teams ran the football in the NFL. You can read of other linemen who extolled Dawson as well in an article posted back in February when the announcement of his enshrinement announcement was first made. - http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Linemen-respect-and-admire-Dawson/1c8b76dd-30d7-4f92-acaa-dd99114dce26/ 

Ask also his former coaches about him and they are not at all reticent with regard their plaudits. 

Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher often sang Dawson's praises, but a different perspective comes from a Steelers defensive coach. Dick LeBeau, Pittsburgh’s living legend of a defensive coordinator, shared this perspective with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

“He’s the first center I ever saw pulling and leading sweeps. They would lead Dermontti on what we called the ‘plus nose tackle,’ the guy who sat outside his shoulder with the play going to that side. His blocking assignment was to cut that guy out of that onside gap, almost impossible. But Dermontti could do it because of his quickness.”

Great Xs and Os type of assessment from a defensive coach. His first head coach also, though, spoke highly of him. The man who coached Webster through four Super Bowls.

“Dermontti is a much better athlete (than Webster)," Chuck Knoll said in a 1996 interview. "Mike had great strength and power. Dermontti has it all: smarts, strength, quickness and speed.” 

Finally, though, what vigor persisted after Dawson with his opponents? How your enemies respect you may be even more telling of you and your mettle than how those who love you revere you. 

Current New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick used to face Dawson and the Steelers twice a year when he manned the helm for the rival Cleveland Browns (1991-95). BB had this to say about DD: "He was one of the best players that we have ever played against at that position. He had exceptional quickness. I think that really the measure of a center is his ability to play against powerful guys that are lined up over him and try to bull-rush the pocket and collapse it in the middle so that the quarterback can't step up. Dawson had great leverage and quickness with his hands and his feet where he did a great job of keeping that pocket clean for...those [quarterbacks] who played behind him."

Dawson accepted his selection to be inducted with the same quiet humility spoken of at the outset of this article. He knows his legacy, but he never blew a horn ahead of himself. The ferocity with which he played is a juxtaposition to the docile and appreciative demeanor that makes the man and that was on display Saturday:  http://t.co/GkEl9QY2

~

Jack Butler played defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1951-59. Years ago I didn't even know that. Three years ago that was all I knew. Not long after that I started voicing my opinion that he deserved to have his bust in the Hall of Fame. 

Last year, I put it down on paper, sort of, that Butler's absence from the Hall was a travesty that needed to be rectified. All that I truly have to say about him, therefore, I said here: http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2011/08/jack-butler-should-be-in-hall-of-fame.html?spref=tw

Between his playing days and BLESTO, Butler exemplified his career in the NFL with panache. Since Butler was short and sweet with his speech, despite all that he's done with and for the NFL, I will do likewise here and allow the presentation speech and then his speech close this out. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK5DdtJYWSc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://t.co/zCvpESUu 

HINES WARD : HALL OF FAMER?

Written by Jason Robinson

  The image is etched in my memory: Ben Roethlisberger gets the ball from Jeff Hartings the center, turns right and pitches back left to Fast Willie Parker. It's a sweep left and the Seattle Seahawks have to respect Parker's speed. As Parker runs he hands the ball to Antwaan Randle El on the Reverse and, with help from a key block from Roethlisberger, Randle El throws the ball to an open Hines Ward for the touchdown. Ward skipped into the end zone, smiling as he always does, sealing the victory in Super Bowl XL. Ring number five, one for the thumb. Hines Ward was the MVP with five catches for 123 yards and a touchdown, plus one rush for 18 yards, and it was the first time I truly gave thought to his being a candidate for the Hall of Fame.

    Since then Ward has been the real man of steel as one of the Steelers truest leaders and unquestioned captain of the wide receivers. His play over the years has caused him to have virtually every Steelers receiving record. The only Steelers' records he doesn't have are receptions in a single game, receiving yards in a season, receiving yards in a game and 100-yard games in a season. All the important numbers, though, he has. He even has the hardware: two Rings in three Super Bowl appearences, including the aforementioned MVP award. So he's an all-time great from a Steelers standpoint, but the real question is whether he makes the HOF or not.


    When I think of someone worthy of the Hall of Fame I think of someone truly great. Like Peter King once said, "This isn't the Hall of Very Good." Well said, and well received. Well, then, what is "great?" We could use the dictionary definition for the word, but for these purposes it essentially means someone who is or does something that is large or prodigious in proportion, has significant impact, value and worth, has influence on others and leaves behind some form of legacy. In the case of the NFL, it would also mean being the best for a period of time. That means we can't just look at numbers. You can skew numbers to fit whatever you want. I could throw Terrell Owen's numbers at you and present them in such a way to make you think he's the greatest thing since Stretch Armstrong. *sigh* I miss that toy. It was just so cool! Stretch him all around anything I wanted. But I digress... Anyway, the truth is that Owens has great numbers to be sure, but he also has been a pariah wherever he has played. He's torn teams apart and, on top of that, you never had to worry about your popcorn in the playoffs because he's never won a significant playoff game. So is he truly great? No.

    Not that the HOF necessarily takes character into consideration, but being arrested for Cocaine possession, i.e. Michael Irvin, is something that happens outside of the game. Derailing and/or breaking teams up, though, directly deals with the game itself. So that means that one such as the aforementioned Owens would fail when graded against that particular criterium. Does Ward? How, in fact, does Ward fair against the criteria set up in general? As I alluded to before, numbers are only one part of this. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, he has the numbers to warrant having his smiling bust in Canton despite never being the absolute best any given year. So let's look at the proposed definition and go from there.

    Part of the definition proposed was "someone who is or does something prodigious in proportion." Hines Ward has certainly had a prodigious career as he holds all of the most significant of Steelers receiving records as was mentioned before. He has been a key component to reaching the playoffs 7 of the last 10 years and to reaching the Super Bowl three times in six years. He is a four-time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl MVP and still one of the best blocking WRs in the League.

    Another criteria put forth was one's impact, value and worth. The "impact" Ward has had on players over the years is well documented. Ed Reed found this out in a 2004 when he wasn't paying close enough attention to his surroundings and was knocked out cold by a legal block by Ward. So clean and devastating was the blow that Ward immediately signaled to the Ravens' sideline for them to come get him. If it had been a cartoon there would have been little birds flying around Reed's head. After the game Reed was asked what he thought of the hit. He said, "(snore)". Then there was the, again, legal block on Keith Rivers in '08. Rivers also neglected to keep his head on a swivel as to what was going on in his vicinity and paid for it. The block so jolted Rivers that it broke his jaw. You can find Rivers at the downtown Cincinnati Jamba Juice drinking his dinner if you want to ask him his thoughts on Hines Ward's blocking ability. I bring these examples up because they and others resulted in a rules change by the NFL that is affectionately (ahem) referred to as "The Hines Ward Rule." That, ladies and gentlemen, is impact. The value and worth part of that is simple: he's incredibly valuable to his team as he not only does whatever is needed for his team to win, but they see that this is the case and have voted him captain or team MVP multiple times.


    The influence and legacy that Ward will leave behind is summed up in a series of names: Burress, Randle El, Holmes, Wallace, and, soon to surely be added, Sanders and Brown. All of whom are at least Super Bowl participants and two have Super Bowl game-winning touchdown catches. His influence on them is great. These receivers to a man have spoken extremely highly of Ward and his influence, work ethic and leadership on the field and in the locker room. He is greatly respected and admired as a football player and as a man. When I watch NFL Films replays of practices, games or otherwise and I see the other receivers standing there listening to him as if to a father, I can't help but to smile. When the word "honor" is used in conjunction with Hines Ward, it isn't contextually, "Yes, Your Honor." The honor, admiration and respect for Ward is real and is boundless. Even when opposing players hate him, they still have to respect him. That, my friends, is greatness.

    So, yeah, I could have thrown out stat after stat to make a case for Hines Ward to don a yellow jacket, but he's greater than the sum of his parts. Pure stats don't do him justice, because he's a Hall of Famer on and off the field. Will he get in on the first ballot? I'd have to say no, but I believe that a Hall of Famer is simply a Hall of Famer. So expect to see him up on that podium, oh, sometime in early 2020's. But expect him nonetheless.

JACK BUTLER SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME

When I first considered writing this article I was unsure how I'd approach it. I usually add humor and satire to my pieces to maintain the readers' interest, but also to hammer a point home. The person I speak of in this article deserves better than a joke for the sake of a joke, though. I also thought about dropping the cold, hard facts, but that could lose the interest of even the most avid Steelers fan.

The player I speak of in this article deserves better than to be reduced to mere facts. Therefore, the person and player I speak of is Jack Butler and he deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, as you read this you probably just asked yourself, "Whom?" Therein lies the problem. When Steelers fans complain about former players who belong in the Hall of Fame, the usual suspects are in the lineup: L.C. "Hollywood Bags" Greenwood, Donnie Shell, Dermonti Dawson, etc... To sing these players' praises is only right, it's just that not enough current fans know the words to Jack Butler's song to sing his praises in the first place. Now, while I'm not a great singer by any means, I'm going to add my voice to his book of hymns and hopefully attract to him the attention he deserves.

Jack Butler was a 6'1" and 200 lb. defensive back who also played some flanker. Butler was a four-time Pro Bowl, and more importantly a four-time All-Pro (three-time 1st Team selection and one-time 2nd Team selection), player for Pittsburgh from 1951-1959. He was one of the best defenders to play in Pittsburgh and was one of the last two-way players for the Steelers. His career was cut short in 1959 when his knee was so badly damaged in a game at Forbes Field that some wondered if he would live through it. But live through it he did and went on to try his hand at coaching and then ended up being a coach/scout for the Steelers in 1961. Within 2 years Butler would become the director of BLESTO, one of two NFL scouting combines, where he was basically responsible for every player in the NFL for 44 years (1963-2007). Though his being the face of the NFL Scouting Combine could get him elected to Canton as a Contributor, the focus of this article will be on his playing days and why he should eventually wear a gold jacket based on those merits.

As was mentioned, Butler was one of the best defenders to ever play in Pittsburgh. In 3 different seasons (1953, 1957 and 1958) he made at least 9 interceptions, including leading the League in 1957 with 10. Undrafted, Butler made the Steelers as a free agent and became one of the hardest-hitting cornerbacks in the league and one adept at finding the ball as well. His 52 career interceptions still rank 2nd all-time in the Steelers' record books, were good for no. 2 in the NFL all-time when he retired, and still rank as no. 25 in the NFL all-time. Those 52 interceptions also garnered 827 return yards, which still ranks no. 20 in the NFL all-time, and four touchdowns in a total of only 103 games - that's essentially an interception every other game. He also had 10 career fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown. Impressive numbers to be sure, but don't just take my word for it. The NFL and the Steelers organization said it first as Butler was on the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, as well as the Steelers 50 Anniversary Team. Yet, he isn't in the Hall of Fame. Based on the numbers alone one would think he'd have been enshrined by now. But he isn't. I could easily offer personal conjecture as to why he isn't, but it would sound as if I'm just a homer for my team. So I won't speculate as to why, rather I'll compare his accomplishments against some contemporaries who actually do have their busts in Canton.

Let's start with another Jack who played during the same basic years as Butler: Jack Christiansen, who played with the Lions from 1951-1958. Christiansen intercepted 46 balls in his career for a total of 717 return yards and 3 touchdowns. Christiansen also recovered 7 fumbles in his career. His case was bolstered, though, because of returning both kicks and punts throughout his career. He returned kicks and punts so well that it helped him to four 1st Team All-Pros. Comparable numbers nonetheless and yet Christiansen is in the HOF, but Butler isn't. Another contemporary who could be considered is Dick "Night Train" Lane. He played from 1952-1965 and picked off 68 passes in his career returning them for 1,207 yards and scoring five touchdowns. He recovered 11 fumbles, returning one for a touchdown and was a three-time All-Pro. This particular HOFer's actual numbers are greater than those of Butler, as you can see, but he accomplished them in 54 more games. Projecting Butler's numbers out over 157 games would give him approximately 78 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries, not to mention probably at least a couple more All-Pro selections. Alright, one last comparison before I wrap this part up. HOFer Willie Wood played for the Green Bay Packers from 1960-1971 and was a 5-time 1st Team All-Pro. He intercepted 48 passes in his career for a total of 699 return yards and two touchdowns. He also recovered 16 fumbles over the course of his career. Wood is another who returned both punts and kicks and was fairly proficient at it as he is credited for 1,411 total punt/kick return yards. He certainly deserves the Hall of Fame induction he received, all of these men do. But his defensive numbers, even with playing over 60 more games than Butler, simply were not as good. If, again, you were to project Butler's numbers over the career of Mr. Wood's, he'd have 83 interceptions, which would be the most in NFL history, approximately 16 fumble recoveries also, and who knows how many return yards and touchdowns. Obviously we can't truly speculate, but the point is that Butler's numbers, accolades and impact on the field of play are easily as significant as his three contempories mentioned here. Yet, he isn't in the Hall of Fame.


I've been talking for a while now on the Hall of Fame, yet I haven't addressed the criteria set forth by the Hall itself. What are the requirements for induction? Well let's see what profootballhof.com has to say on the matter. In the "Hall of Famers: Selection Process" section you'll find a paragraph that reads this way: "Any fan may nominate any player, coach or contributor who has been connected with pro football simply by writing to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The only restriction is that a player and coach must have been retired at least five years before he can be considered. There is no mandatory retirement period for a contributor before he may be considered. Every nomination of an eligible candidate received will be processed and forwarded to the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee." Yep, that's about the extent of what the website gives as to the criteria for being nominated. In other words it's very nebulous. But if we take into consideration what was said regarding past enshrinees at the time of their induction, we can assume that there are three basic criteria: 1) Excellence or dominance at the position for a good portion of their career, 2) where their numbers and/or accomplishments were ranked at the time of their retirement, and 3) how they stack up against their contemporaries. Hm...I think I already made that case for him. In that case, I'll simply sum this up: in 103 regular season games, a 9 year career, Jack Butler's accomplishments and impact were on the level of three HOFers who played in his era, was a member of the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, a member of the Steelers 50th Anniversary Team, a four time All Pro, and the number two all-time interception leader when he retired, yet, he still isn't...well, you know the rest.