Early on March 20, Steeler Nation woke up to a damning realisation: The man, the myth, the legend, Joe Greene was no more. Not yet reported by mainstream media, the news first caught wind when a verified X account with over 96,000 followers shared a black & white picture of the retired defensive tackle. In bold words it mentioned, “1946-2026”. Expectedly, an outpouring of grief filled the replies section, but skeptics still asked: How sure are we?

Mostly because there was simply no documentation of any health issues regarding Mean Joe in recent times. Although a feature story by the nonprofit SPARC Foundation identified Greene as a Colon Cancer Health Ambassador following his Stage 3 emergency surgery, the attached photo clearly revealed it isn’t the Steelers legend. So, expectedly, it wasn’t long before the Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to clarify what the truth was.

“When we reached out to the Steelers about the supposed tragic news,” noted TMZ Sports. “They stated the report is not accurate.”

If you need any more confirmation, NFL Insider John McClain also informed what the Greene family told him.

“Fortunately, Joe Greene has NOT died,” wrote McClain on X. ” I got that from his family. That report was fake news. Joe is doing great!!!”

What’s more, in his latest public appearance in October last year at a memorabilia show, the 79-year-old appeared healthy as a horse and even indulged in a lengthy chat with Sports Collectors Digest’s Doug Koztoski. Several pictures from the event also showed the veteran player happily chatting with fans and signing autographs. Funnily, Joe Greene is just another name in the list of Steelers legends caught up in an unforgiving hoax.

Terry Bradshaw, especially, has always been a go-to target for fake news. The most notable instance happened in 2007, when Pro Football Talk reported that the former quarterback had died in a fatal car accident. In reality, though, Bradshaw was playing golf in Mexico at the time, and the accident had occurred at the Terry Bradshaw Parkway, leading to the misinterpretation. Bradshaw’s reaction to the incident?  A quote that’s still iconic to this day.

“I ain’t dead, but my golf game sure is.”

Yet, such instances have continued, with the recent instance happening just earlier this week. A network of Facebook accounts seemingly confirmed that the player-turned-broadcaster had passed away “30 minutes ago.” What makes the situation even more hilarious is exact posts were also shared October and June last year.

In fact, Ben Roethlisberger also woke up one day to realize he had been announced dead.

In September 2012, a hoax generator website reported that the quarterback had broken both his legs in a car accident. The claim was debunked, but not before tricking multiple prominent sports reporters. In July 2017, too, another fake article claimed Roethlisberger had lost multiple fingers in a 4th of July fireworks accident.

As for Joe Greene, it’s not hard to understand why click-hungry accounts would target him.

A first-round pick (4th overall) from the 1969 NFL Draft, Greene was an integral part of the Black and Gold during his playing days. Playing 13 seasons at the Steelers, he won four Super Bowls (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979) with the team.

He made a mark in his very first season, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, followed by two Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 1972 and 1974. Out of the 13 seasons he played, he earned the Pro Bowl honors ten times, which stood out as a remarkable individual achievement.

Greene’s individual dominance, which included 77.5 sacks over 181 games between 1969 and 1981, was the engine for the team’s historic success, as he anchored the defense for four Super Bowl victories. He helped make the defensive unit invincible, the same defense that was later known as the Steel Curtain Defense.

The loss of Steel Curtain Defense legends may have fueled false alarms around Joe Greene

The Steelers have won six Super Bowl trophies, of which four came with the Steel Curtain Defense leading the charge in the 1970s and the early 1980s. They were the cornerstones of their dynasty run.

Aside from Greene, the defensive unit was built around defensive end L.C. Greenwood, defensive tackle Ernie Holmes, and defensive end Dwight White. Although Holmes left the Steelers for the New England Patriots in 1978, the other three remained intact until the end of 1980.

Incidentally, other than Joe Greene, none of the members of the Steel Curtain Defense are alive today, which may explain why the rumor of his supposed death spread quickly. Greenwood died in 2013 at the age of 67, while Holmes passed away eighteen years ago at the age of 59. White also left the world the same year, and he was 58 at the time of his passing.

All in all, Joe Greene is very much alive.

Before making his mark in the pros, he built his foundation at the North Texas Mean Green, a program that actually adopted its now-iconic nickname during his time there in 1966. His impact didn’t go unnoticed. North Texas honored him by retiring his No. 75 jersey in 1981. Years later, the Pittsburgh Steelers followed suit, retiring the same number in 2014 as a tribute to everything he meant to the franchise.

Joe Greene even earned a place in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984, and just three years later, he reached the pinnacle with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.