Junior Cleo Lissade grew up an old soul. Raised by her grandparents, she enjoys listening old music from the 50s and 60s like Earth, Wind & Fire and watching classic movies. She cherishes the days sitting on the couch and watching Indiana Jones and Star Wars, the two movies she loved watching with her grandpa. Almost every Sunday after church, she enjoys a meal at Macaroni Grill with her whole family.
But her grandpa isn’t exactly the typical grandfather. He is actually the famous former football player, “Mean Joe” Greene. He has won four Superbowl championships with the Pittsburg Steelers, a team he played with for 13 years. He was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After receiving a scouting job with the Steelers, he moved to Flower Mound with his wife, daughter and granddaughter in 2004.
“I just see him as my grandpa,” Lissade said. “He recently did a commercial, so sometimes I’m reminded that he is who he is, but otherwise I really think of him as a grandpa.”
Lissade said despite having a famous figure in the family her life is just like anyone else’s and he is just a person and family member in her eyes and not the famous “Mean Joe” Greene.
Greene said that despite all of his victories and titles from his football days, his biggest accomplishment is getting married and having a family and grandchildren. But before “Mean Joe” Greene became a father, he played football at University of North Texas. In fact, UNT is where his nickname came from. When he went to the pros, it was mistaken that the nickname of the football team at UNT, “Mean Green,” was Greene’s nickname. This borrowed nickname, “Mean Joe” Greene, ended up sticking with him through his professional career.
His most memorable game at UNT was in his sophomore year in the mid 60s. “Go Mean Green! Go Mean Green!” the crowd chanted as sophomore, “Mean Joe” Greene took the field with the UNT varsity football team against Texas Western. It was the revenge match for UNT after they had lost to the rival the previous year. The fans watched the game anxiously until the clock ran out of time. The game ended in a victory for UNT.
“It was the start of something good happening here at North Texas for our football team,” Greene said.
It was also the start of something good happening for Greene. He later went on with his football career and was drafted by the Pittsburg Steelers. Before being drafted by the Steelers, Greene said he considered playing for many football teams, including the Dallas Cowboys. After becoming a Steeler, he never thought about playing for a different team.
“It was special because I was there when a young group of guys… went from being losers to winners and being the best football team in the league for four years,” Greene said.
Greene was also one of the four players of the “Steel Curtain,” the famous Steelers defensive line in the 1970s. Throughout his years of football, he does not having any long term injuries from his football years.
“I’m the one that dished out the injuries,” Greene said. “I’m not the one that was getting the injuries.”
He was also widely known for his Coca-Cola commercial that aired during the 1980 Superbowl. Greene said this commercial showed a different, softer side of him rather than his tough football persona. More people approached him and he became even more popular because of the commercial.
Along with all of his contributions to football, Greene continues to play a role today in his own family’s lives. Lissade said he is someone she looks up to.
“In the face of adversity, he’s always been able to be strong, and he’s been able to go through it,” Lissade said.
Greene said he hopes to inspire his family by being involved in their lives and sharing his knowledge from over the years. One of the things Greene said he does now is spend a lot of his time with his grandchildren. He also continues to be a part of UNT and the NFL. Lissade and her family will sometimes go to football games at UNT and people in the stands call out to her grandpa and ask for autographs.
As for the NFL, Greene still works with the Steelers and scouts college players for the team. He still keeps in touch with players from his former football team. Lissade said that with “Mean Joe” Greene as her grandpa, she has had some unique experiences. In the sixth grade, she went to Pittsburg with him for the 75th anniversary of the Steelers and got to meet, hangout and have dinner at the event with almost all of the Steelers alumni, like former quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
As for everyday life, Greene said it is fairly easy to go out in public without many people recognizing or approaching him. Lissade said that some people at school bring it up once in awhile and bother her about having a famous figure in the family, but other than that, her life is normal.
“[We do] anything that any daughter and father would do,” Lissade said. “He’s like a dad to me.”
