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Greene And Haynes Represent North Texas At Century in the Making Nominating List Reveal

(Back row left -Mean Joe Greene. Back row right- 'Lil" Abner Haynes)


Courtesy: University of North Texas
Release: 01/13/2010

Dallas, Texas (1/13/10) - The University of North Texas was well represented at the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's Century in the Making Nominating List Reveal on Tuesday afternoon at Woodrow Wilson High School. Mean Joe Greene and Abner Haynes were two of the North Texas football legends in attendance.

The North Texas region will be hosting its first Super Bowl ever next year at the new Cowboy Stadium. To celebrate this event, a Nominating List of the 250 greatest gridiron moments was assembled by the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's Century in the Making Action Team and was revealed for the first time on Tuesday.

On stage with other football greats like Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnston, Michael Irvin, Billy Sims and Tony Dorsett, Greene and Haynes reminisced about their playing days in Denton.

"I went to North Texas because of Abner," said Greene. "He was a guy I admired. At the time, I didn't realize the sacrifices he had made. Denton was a good community. I met my wife there. It was a place that allowed me to mature."

Haynes talked about being one of the first African-Americans to play college football in the southwest in 1957. He went on to play with the Dallas Texans in the AFL and helped the Texans to the 1962 AFL title.

"I'm very proud of what we did," said Haynes. "We were just kids. I'm proud of North Texas and the city of Denton for stepping up and making sure that everyone got a chance for an education."

Brad Sham, voice of the Cowboys, emceed the ceremony and spoke with the football greats about their playing days. Greene and Staubach bantered back and forth about the Steelers beating the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIV. Greene was a part of the "Steel Curtain" defense that led Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl titles. Greene also spoke about the origin of the Mean Green nickname.

Greene thought the team nickname started to emerge when the North Texas defense ran all over UTEP during his sophomore year in 1968. He really didn't think it became an individual nickname until his professional days.

The ceremony was held at Woodrow Wilson High School in recognition of its being the only public high school in America to produce two Heisman Trophy winners (Davey O'Brien and Tim Brown).