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GREENWOOD TRIBUTE MORE THAN FITTING
By Nate Olson
Mississippi State has Jerry Rice and Deacon Jones. Jackson State has Walter Payton and Lem Barney. Grambling State boasts Buck Buchanan, Willie Davis, Willie Brown and Charlie Joiner. Alabama A&M has John Stallworth. The pride of Southern is Mel Blount, while Prairie View A&M has Ken Houston.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff's piece of gridiron greatness lies in the form of one of the most outstanding defensive ends to play in the National Football League -- L.C. Greenwood.
Like those other Southwestern Athletic Conference greats, Greenwood rose from obscurity to superstardom.
Greenwood , a Canton Miss. native, was a three year starter at defensive end at AM&N College from 1965 to 1969 and was named team MVP his senior season. That year, he was also an Ebony magazine All-American.
Still, Greenwood wasn't selected in NFL draft until the 10th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Who would have figured the Steelers had just selected a player who would become one the cornerstones of a team that would go one to win four Super Bowls?
Greenwood finished a 13-year career with a Steelers' record 73.5 sacks and six All-Pro selections to his credit.
This weekend the rock of a man that came to Pine Bluff as a gangly young kid nearly 40 years ago returned to his second home to be honored by friends, teammates and family. In the process he gave back to UAPB, an institution for which he has great love and pride.
On Friday night 200 people turned out for a gala at the Pine Bluff Country Club to honor Greenwood The Man. The Lion. The Legend.
The event, organized by second-year UAPB athletic director Craig Curry, was class all the way. It's hard to find a tribute appropriate to the legend of a person and athlete like Greenwood, but this event pulled it off.
At halftime of Saturday's game between UAPB and Grambling State, Curry and UAPB chancellor Lawrence A. Davis proclaimed Saturday 'L.C. Greenwood Day.'
It would be difficult to have lived in Pine Bluff or have followed the NFL and not know that Greenwood, a sure lock for the NFL Hall of Fame, was one of the NFL's all-time greats.
The gala reiterated that point, but also underscored that Greenwood is a tremendous person, as well .
Annie Greenwood, L.C.'s younger sister, said that despite what he has done on the field she and her family members will think of him first and foremost as a dedicated brother. L.C. is the oldest of nine children and helped mentor the rest of the brood.
In a taped message, Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy credited Greenwood with shaping his ideals and morals when he and Greenwood were teammates with the Steelers. By the time a 21-year-old Dungy joined the Steelers, Greenwood was a veteran of two Super Bowl Championship teams.
Dungy said he is passing along the lessons he learned from Greenwood to his current players. Dungy's tone made it apparent he loved Greenwood like a brother. His sincerity was clear and was appreciated by those who were packed into the ballroom.
UAPB living legend Henry Pennymon lauded Greenwood for graduating from AM&N before entering the NFL. Greenwood said that he came to UAPB not to go to the NFL but to take advantage of a free education. Some schools were not willing to give Greenwood a free ride.
UAPB compliance director and former AM&N football coach Vannette Johnson told the ironic story of how the Greenwood legend began in Pine Bluff.
Ulysses Grant, a longtime track and field coach at UAPB and former Johnson assistant, was in Jackson, Miss. on his way home from a recruiting trip in New Orleans. A former AM&N player saw Grant in the restaurant and told him of a long and lean defensive end in Canton.
Grant visited Canton Rogers High School and met with the principal, who informed him that one of the faculty members was an AM&N graduate.
That teacher arranged for Grant to meet Greenwood, who chose AM&N. That set the stage for his history-making career.
"Who would have thought that a tall, skinny, nappy-headed kid from Mississippi would go on and do what he did, " Annie Greenwood said. "Only God knew."
Several nuggets provided by the guest speakers were what really made the program.
Former AM&N and NFL receiver ,Wallace Francis, told of how he became a Greenwood fan through his brother, who also played for the Golden Lions. Thumbing through his brother's yearbook, he got to see firsthand how Greenwood, also known as Hollywood Bags, ravaged foes. During Francis' second year in Buffalo the Bills had to play a playoff game in Pittsburgh. He said he remembered Greenwood "squeezing The Juice," referring to Bills Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson.
The evening was entertaining, enlightening and inspirational. Greenwood finally took the podium and didn't quite know what to say following the multitude of testimonials.
"I'm speechless ," said Greenwood, obviously overcome with emotion.
Greenwood capped off the evening by sharing his deep devotion to his family, AM&N and the Steelers.
"I wear the AM&N and Pittsburgh Steelers label on my back wherever I go in the world," he said.
Kudos to Curry and UAPB for putting on such a wonderful night to honor one of its own. In addition to paying homage to Greenwood, the event raised an undetermined amount of money for its athletic department scholarship fund.
Curry said plans are in the works for more charity events that will honor former UAPB and AM&N greats as well as other famous athletes and coaches.
After Friday night's tribute, Curry and his staff will have their hands full organizing a function that would be as classy and fitting as the one that allowed Greenwood's legend in Pine Bluff to grow even more.
By Nate Olson
Mississippi State has Jerry Rice and Deacon Jones. Jackson State has Walter Payton and Lem Barney. Grambling State boasts Buck Buchanan, Willie Davis, Willie Brown and Charlie Joiner. Alabama A&M has John Stallworth. The pride of Southern is Mel Blount, while Prairie View A&M has Ken Houston.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff's piece of gridiron greatness lies in the form of one of the most outstanding defensive ends to play in the National Football League -- L.C. Greenwood.
Like those other Southwestern Athletic Conference greats, Greenwood rose from obscurity to superstardom.
Greenwood , a Canton Miss. native, was a three year starter at defensive end at AM&N College from 1965 to 1969 and was named team MVP his senior season. That year, he was also an Ebony magazine All-American.
Still, Greenwood wasn't selected in NFL draft until the 10th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Who would have figured the Steelers had just selected a player who would become one the cornerstones of a team that would go one to win four Super Bowls?
Greenwood finished a 13-year career with a Steelers' record 73.5 sacks and six All-Pro selections to his credit.
This weekend the rock of a man that came to Pine Bluff as a gangly young kid nearly 40 years ago returned to his second home to be honored by friends, teammates and family. In the process he gave back to UAPB, an institution for which he has great love and pride.
On Friday night 200 people turned out for a gala at the Pine Bluff Country Club to honor Greenwood The Man. The Lion. The Legend.
The event, organized by second-year UAPB athletic director Craig Curry, was class all the way. It's hard to find a tribute appropriate to the legend of a person and athlete like Greenwood, but this event pulled it off.
At halftime of Saturday's game between UAPB and Grambling State, Curry and UAPB chancellor Lawrence A. Davis proclaimed Saturday 'L.C. Greenwood Day.'
It would be difficult to have lived in Pine Bluff or have followed the NFL and not know that Greenwood, a sure lock for the NFL Hall of Fame, was one of the NFL's all-time greats.
The gala reiterated that point, but also underscored that Greenwood is a tremendous person, as well .
Annie Greenwood, L.C.'s younger sister, said that despite what he has done on the field she and her family members will think of him first and foremost as a dedicated brother. L.C. is the oldest of nine children and helped mentor the rest of the brood.
In a taped message, Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy credited Greenwood with shaping his ideals and morals when he and Greenwood were teammates with the Steelers. By the time a 21-year-old Dungy joined the Steelers, Greenwood was a veteran of two Super Bowl Championship teams.
Dungy said he is passing along the lessons he learned from Greenwood to his current players. Dungy's tone made it apparent he loved Greenwood like a brother. His sincerity was clear and was appreciated by those who were packed into the ballroom.
UAPB living legend Henry Pennymon lauded Greenwood for graduating from AM&N before entering the NFL. Greenwood said that he came to UAPB not to go to the NFL but to take advantage of a free education. Some schools were not willing to give Greenwood a free ride.
UAPB compliance director and former AM&N football coach Vannette Johnson told the ironic story of how the Greenwood legend began in Pine Bluff.
Ulysses Grant, a longtime track and field coach at UAPB and former Johnson assistant, was in Jackson, Miss. on his way home from a recruiting trip in New Orleans. A former AM&N player saw Grant in the restaurant and told him of a long and lean defensive end in Canton.
Grant visited Canton Rogers High School and met with the principal, who informed him that one of the faculty members was an AM&N graduate.
That teacher arranged for Grant to meet Greenwood, who chose AM&N. That set the stage for his history-making career.
"Who would have thought that a tall, skinny, nappy-headed kid from Mississippi would go on and do what he did, " Annie Greenwood said. "Only God knew."
Several nuggets provided by the guest speakers were what really made the program.
Former AM&N and NFL receiver ,Wallace Francis, told of how he became a Greenwood fan through his brother, who also played for the Golden Lions. Thumbing through his brother's yearbook, he got to see firsthand how Greenwood, also known as Hollywood Bags, ravaged foes. During Francis' second year in Buffalo the Bills had to play a playoff game in Pittsburgh. He said he remembered Greenwood "squeezing The Juice," referring to Bills Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson.
The evening was entertaining, enlightening and inspirational. Greenwood finally took the podium and didn't quite know what to say following the multitude of testimonials.
"I'm speechless ," said Greenwood, obviously overcome with emotion.
Greenwood capped off the evening by sharing his deep devotion to his family, AM&N and the Steelers.
"I wear the AM&N and Pittsburgh Steelers label on my back wherever I go in the world," he said.
Kudos to Curry and UAPB for putting on such a wonderful night to honor one of its own. In addition to paying homage to Greenwood, the event raised an undetermined amount of money for its athletic department scholarship fund.
Curry said plans are in the works for more charity events that will honor former UAPB and AM&N greats as well as other famous athletes and coaches.
After Friday night's tribute, Curry and his staff will have their hands full organizing a function that would be as classy and fitting as the one that allowed Greenwood's legend in Pine Bluff to grow even more.
