Later this summer, it will be a big day for San Francisco 49ers fans at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Eddie DeBartolo will finally be inducted, but there is another player with a 49ers connection. Outside linebacker/defensive end Kevin Greene spent the 1997 season with the 49ers. In that season he had 10.5 sacks for a team that advanced to the conference championship round of the NFL playoffs.
It was a strong year for Greene, but it was also just one year in a 15-year career. Greene was asked on Friday about that year.
New Hall of Famer Kevin Greene refers to his one year with the @49ers as, "A fart in the wind." #analysis #pftlive
— Rob Guerrera (@StatsOnFire) February 12, 2016
Welp!
While it was not a big year in his career, take a look back at that defense. That was Dana Stubblefield's 15-sack, DPOY season that netted him a huge contract with Washington. Chris Doleman added 12 sacks. Bryant Young only had four sacks, but dealt with the double-teams that opened the door for Stubblefield. That was a veteran heavy team, with Rod Woodson also spending one year with the team.
Football Outsiders ranked that defense No. 1, including first against the pass and second against the run. It may have only been a fart in the wind for Greene, but it was a strong unit. And I can't find a picture of it, but it gave us Greene in street clothes head-butting Jim Druckenmiller in his helmet following a big play by the 49ers QB.