Kevin Greene dies at 58; NFL reacts to loss of Hall of Fame pass-rusher

Tom Gatto

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Kevin Greene dies at 58; NFL reacts to loss of Hall of Fame pass-rusher image

Kevin Greene was hailed as a "game changer," a "true Hall of Famer in every sense" and an "amazing player and person" in outpouring of emotion by the NFL following Greene's death Monday at age 58.

Greene made a lasting impression wherever he went in a pro football career that included playing stints with the Rams, Steelers, Panthers and 49ers and coaching stops with the Packers and Jets. The Rams, Steelers and Panthers in particular made poignant statements. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame, where Greene was inducted in 2016, felt the loss deeply, too.

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"I regarded him as a personal friend and a true Hall of Famer in every sense," Hall president and CEO David Baker said in a statement. "He possessed the most incredible can-do attitude of anyone I ever met. He was a great player, but more than that, he was a great man.

MORE: Greene said Steelers stint was 'zenith' of his career

Several of Greene's fellow Hall of Famers expressed similar sentiments.

Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt, who wears the same No. 91 that Greene wore with the team, pledged to honor Greene in Pittsburgh's game Monday night vs. Cincinnati.

Greene finished his career in 1999 with 160 sacks, which is third all time behind only Bruce Smith and Reggie White. He led the NFL in that category in 1994 and 1996.

The cause of Greene's death has not been disclosed.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.