Less than a year ago, the Southwestern Athletic Conference awarded the late L.C. Greenwood a lifetime achievement award.
Just maybe, it was a sign one of the faces of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense deserves a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the sport’s highest individual order.
The public will know for sure Thursday evening whether the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will see one of its alumni from Canton, Miss., be enshrined forever in Canton, Ohio.
Greenwood, who played at then-Arkansas AM&N College from 1965-68, is one of five candidates from the senior, coach and contributor division who are finalists for the hall, the complete 2026 class of which will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The awards show will begin at 8 p.m. and air on NBC (KARK, channel 4) and stream on Peacock.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“That would be amazing,” UAPB Athletic Director Chris Robinson exclaimed immediately when asked about the thought of Greenwood becoming the first former Golden Lion enshrined. “Greenwood would come back to campus before he couldn’t, and his family still interacts with the athletic department. It’s been a making in itself.”
Greenwood, who died in 2013 at age 67, is memorialized with his number No. 88 retired from UAPB football. He was an Ebony magazine All-American and All-SWAC during his senior season, his fourth as a letterman.
The Steelers picked him in the 10th round of the 1969 draft, but Greenwood, who wore No. 68 in Pittsburgh, gave them a great return on investment. As a defensive end, he was part of a line that won four Super Bowls (1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979 seasons) and helped establish one of football’s greatest dynasties. With 78 sacks and 14 fumble recoveries according to ProFootballReference.com, Greenwood made the Pro Bowl six times, All-Pro twice and was selected to the hall’s 1970s All-Decade team.
Robinson said he’s had conversations with SWAC greats Willie Lanier and Robert Brazile, who are hall members, about pushing for Greenwood to join their ranks. A candidate must receive at least 80% of the vote from the hall’s 50-member selection committee to be inducted, but only three can be nominated.
“We’ve had a lot of 1-on-1 conversations to help him get that well-deserved honor,” Robinson said. “So far, he’s the most well-decorated defensive lineman who is not in the Hall of Fame.”
Media reports suggest New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former Patriots Coach Bill Belichick did not garner enough votes for induction in their first ballot, but that has not been confirmed by the hall. Former San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig and former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson are the other senior candidates.
Should Greenwood’s family get the call to the hall, look for UAPB to publicize this landmark occasion, Robinson suggested.
“To make it this far, those are things we can continue to do to build off it,” Robinson said, suggesting promoting highlighting Greenwood in UAPB football’s wall of honor or having a facility with his name on it. “Again, having these conversations, it’s an accomplishment itself to be named a finalist. There are a lot of people who have played on other teams who haven’t even made the ballot.”
Two players with Pine Bluff connections are enshrined in the hall.
Don Hutson, who set 18 receiving records in an 11-year career with the Green Bay Packers (1935-45), became a charter member of the Hall in 1963. Willie Roaf was elected in 2012 as a first-ballot inductee after 13 years (1993-2005) as a forceful left tackle with the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.
Tonight, Canton, Ohio, could welcome its first Golden Lion.
“This is a very rare opportunity. I’m sure the state, the conference and city and his hometown will embrace this as an ongoing thing, not a one-time thing, to raise awareness of UAPB’s athletic department,” Robinson said.