Ernie Green

Last updated

Ernie Green
No. 48
Position: Halfback,
Fullback
Personal information
Born: (1938-10-15) October 15, 1938 (age 85)
Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
College: Louisville
NFL draft: 1962  / Round: 14 / Pick: 196
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:3,204
Rushing average:4.8
Rushing touchdowns:15
Receptions:195
Receiving yards:2,036
Receiving touchdowns:20
Player stats at PFR

Ernest Green (born October 15, 1938) is an American former professional football player who was a halfback and fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals.

Contents

Early years

Born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, Green is a 1958 graduate of Spencer High School. He was a star running back on the school's football team, senior class president and a member of the National Honor Society. He was honored as the first Greenwave football player to have his jersey number retired on January 20, 2018. [1]

College

Green attended the University of Louisville from 1958 to 1961, rushing for more than 1,500 yards in his college football career with the Cardinals and twice leading the team in that department, Earning him all American honors. He also excelled in baseball, spurning contract offers in order to remain on the gridiron. [2]

Green Bay Packers

In 1962 the reigning world champion Green Bay Packers drafted Green in the 14th round of the 1962 NFL draft, but during training camp they traded him to the Cleveland Browns where he would make a name for himself as one of the league's top running backs. [2]

Cleveland Browns

After seeing only limited action as a rookie in 1962, Green was installed in the Cleveland backfield the following year alongside legendary Hall of Famer Jim Brown. He finished his first full season of action with 526 rushing yards, and also caught 28 passes out of the backfield. Even more importantly, he also helped open holes for Brown to gain a then-NFL record 1,863 yards. In 1964, the two helped the Browns capture their fourth NFL championship, capping the year with a stunning 27–0 shutout of the Baltimore Colts at the 1964 NFL Championship Game.

Following Brown's retirement in July 1966, Green was switched from halfback to fullback and teamed with another future Hall of Famer, Leroy Kelly, to continue to give Cleveland one of the most dangerous backfield combinations in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the next two seasons, [3] and was twice named an NFL All-Pro.

In August 1968, Green injured his knee during a preseason contest in Los Angeles and missed the next two months. On his return, he saw only limited action due to lingering problems with the knee. Just after the end of the season, he underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in the troublesome knee but was then advised to retire. He followed that advice and accepted the Browns' offer to coach their running backs.

In his seven-year NFL career, he gained 3,204 yards and caught 179 passes out of the backfield. [2]

Retirement and business interests

Green was Assistant Vice-President for Student Affairs at Case Western Reserve University from 1970 to 1974. He was Executive Director and Vice-President of IMG's Team Sports Division from 1974 to 1981. He left IMG to establish EG Industries (EGI) which originally manufactured components for the automotive industry in suburban Dayton, Ohio. [4] Currently based in Columbus, Ohio, EGI branched out into parts for medical, consumer, energy and industrial devices. [5] He has served on the board of directors of various enterprises including Eaton Corporation, Dayton Power & Light and the Duriron Company. [4]

Green was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Breast cancer

Green was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2005 after a small malignant lump was found in his chest. After obtaining a second opinion, he was treated with mastectomy in September 2005 by Dr. Robert Schenk, breast surgeon at University Hospitals of Cleveland's Case Medical Center. This was followed by eight chemotherapy sessions ending in March 2006. [6] He then became a breast cancer activist, educating other men about the disease and how it can affect not only women but men as well. His two older sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer, and one of them succumbed to the disease. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Nevers</span> American athlete and coach (1902–1976)

Ernest Alonzo Nevers, nicknamed "Big Dog", was an American football and baseball player and football coach. Widely regarded as one of the best football players in the first half of the 20th century, he played as a fullback and was a triple-threat man known for his talents in running, passing, and kicking. He was inducted with the inaugural classes of inductees into both the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. He was also named in 1969 to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earnest Byner</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Earnest Alexander Byner is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates. He is now the running back coach of Out-of-Door Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Mack</span> American football player (born 1962)

James Kevin Mack is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.

John Stanley Brockington was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. He was a first round draft choice out of Ohio State University, and was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Mitchell</span> American football player and executive (1935–2020)

Robert Cornelius Mitchell was an American football halfback and flanker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell became the Redskins' first African-American star after joining them in 1962, when they became the last NFL team to integrate. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Perry (American football)</span> American football player (1927–2011)

Fletcher Joseph Perry was an American professional football fullback who played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1948 to 1960, the Baltimore Colts from 1961 to 1962, and returned to the 49ers in 1963 for his final year in football. He was exceptionally fast, a trait uncommon for a fullback and one which earned him the nickname, "the Jet". The first African-American to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), he became one of American football's first black stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Horvath</span> American football player (1921–1995)

Leslie Horvath was an American football quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy while playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 1944. Horvath was the first Ohio State player to win the Heisman, an award given to the best college football player in the United States. The school retired his jersey number 22 in October 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leroy Kelly</span> American football player (born 1942)

Leroy Kelly is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1973. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Henry Johnson</span> American gridiron football player (1929–2011)

John Henry Johnson was an American professional football player who was a running back. He was known for his excellence at the fullback position as both a runner and a blocker. His first professional stint was in Canada in the Western Interprovincial Football Union for one season with the Calgary Stampeders. He then played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers before spending his final season in the American Football League (AFL) with the Houston Oilers. Commonly referred to as simply John Henry, an allusion to the folk hero of the same name, Johnson was a tough and tenacious player who performed at a high level well into the tail end of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halfback (American football)</span> Offensive position in American football

A halfback (HB) is an offensive position in American football, whose duties involve lining up in the offensive backfield and carrying the ball on most rushing plays, i.e. a running back. When the principal ball carrier lines up deep in the backfield, and especially when that player is placed behind another player (usually a blocking back), as in the I formation, that player is instead referred to as a tailback (TB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Pruitt</span> American football player (born 1954)

Michael L. Pruitt is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 1986. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft and spent nine seasons with that club. He had five seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl in 1979 and 1980. He also played for the Buffalo Bills for four games in 1985 and for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1985 and 1986. In his NFL career, Pruitt appeared in a total of 152 games, gained 7,378 rushing yards and scored 56 touchdowns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Guyon</span> American football player and coach, baseball player and coach (1892-1971)

Joseph Napoleon "Big Chief" Guyon was an American Indian from the Ojibwa tribe (Chippewa) who was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played college football at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School from 1912 to 1913 and Georgia Tech from 1917 to 1918 and with a number of professional clubs from 1919 to 1927. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dub Jones (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1924)

William Augustus "Dub" Jones is an American former professional football player who was a halfback for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and the old All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily for the Cleveland Browns. He shares the NFL record for touchdowns scored in a single game, with six.

Alonzo Walter Highsmith, Sr. is an American football executive, former fullback, and former boxer. He is a general manager for the University of Miami. He served as the vice president of player personnel for the Cleveland Browns from 2018 to 2019. Before that, Highsmith served as a senior personnel executive for the Green Bay Packers for six seasons from 2012 to 2017. He also played in the NFL for the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes.

Robert Eugene Ferguson was an American football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he won the Maxwell Award in 1961. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Robert Marilla Scott was an gridiron football running back for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Steuber</span> American football player (1921–1996)

Robert James Steuber was an American football halfback who played one season in National Football League (NFL) and three seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, where he quickly became one of the country's most productive runners and scoring threats. He was second in the country in 1942 with more than 1,000 yards of rushing. Steuber was drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears and played one game for the team, appearing as a substitute on September 26, 1943, in the Green Bay Packers' home opener, which ended in a 21–21 tie. The next day, Steuber entered the United States Navy and was transferred to DePauw University for pre-flight training. Despite having gone from amateur status to professional football, Steuber was allowed to return to college football six days later and led the DePauw Tigers to a 50–0 win over Illinois Normal College, rushing for 225 yards and scoring 25 points in the first half. Playing for DePauw's football team in 1943, he led the nation in scoring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dom Moselle</span> American gridiron football player (1926–2010)

Dominic Angelo Moselle was an American football defensive back and halfback who played in the National Football League (NFL) during the early 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Evans (running back)</span> American football player (1921–2007)

Frederick Owen "Dippy" Evans Jr. was a professional American football halfback who played for three years in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL) in the late 1940s.

References

  1. ↑ Hill, Jordan D. "Former NFL player Ernie Green to speak, have number retired at Spencer football banquet," Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, GA), Friday, January 19, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018
  2. 1 2 3 "Player Bio: Ernie Green". Archived from the original on May 12, 2003. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
  3. ↑ Ernie Green Statistics
  4. 1 2 Press release issued by Eaton Corporation announcing Green's election to its Board of Directors. Retrieved December 21, 2018
  5. ↑ About EGI – EG Industries. Archived April 5, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved December 21, 2018
  6. ↑ Cancer battle Archived 2012-02-24 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Battle with breast cancer Archived 2012-02-24 at the Wayback Machine
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.