Pine Bluff (Arkansas), UAPB Golden Lions, Steeler Nation, and Football Fans Nationwide Unite Behind Football’s Most Glaring Hall of Fame Omission — JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED

PINE BLUFF, Ark. and PITTSBURGH, Apr. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — He wore gold shoes in a silver-and-black world. He terrorized quarterbacks for 13 seasons. He helped win four Super Bowls in six years. He sacked Roger Staubach four times in a single Super Bowl. And yet, L.C. Greenwood — one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history — still does not have a gold jacket.

That ends now… sign our petition, today!

A local community coalition is organizing an ambitious national campaign to place a legend(s) in Canton. The growing ensemble of football fans, HBCU advocates, civil rights organizations, former teammates, and sports media personalities is formally calling on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee to immediately induct L.C. Henderson Greenwood of the Pittsburgh Steelers into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — posthumously, and without further delay.

A Career That Speaks for Itself

Born in Canton, Mississippi, and educated at Arkansas AM&N College — now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) — Greenwood was selected by Pittsburgh in the 10th round of the 1969 NFL Draft. What the scouts failed to see, opposing offenses learned quickly: Greenwood was exceptional.

Over a 13-year career with the Steelers, Greenwood:

• Recorded 78 unofficial career sacks — 4th in franchise history, trailing only current stars T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward and modern legend James Harrison
• Registered double-digit sack seasons in both 1971 and 1974
• Was selected to six Pro Bowls
• Earned two First-Team All-Pro honors (1974, 1975) and five All-AFC selections
• Was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s
• Won four Super Bowl Championships (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
• Recorded five Super Bowl sacks across those four title games
• Led the Steelers in sacks six times

Hall of Fame voter and former NFL coach Tony Dungy agreed: “He did things at the left-end position that no other left-ends did. He won four Super Bowl rings. He was an outstanding player.”

His teammate and Hall of Famer “Mean Joe” Greene said it plainly: “I was disappointed. L.C. Greenwood deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”

The Steel Curtain: The Greatest Defense in NFL History

Greenwood was the cornerstone of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steel Curtain defense — a unit widely regarded as the greatest defensive group in professional football history. Alongside Greene, Dwight White, and Ernie Holmes, Greenwood anchored a line that redefined defensive football in America. The Steel Curtain helped the Steelers achieve a feat no team had accomplished before: four Super Bowl victories in a single decade.

Of the four Steel Curtain linemen, only Greene is enshrined in Canton. That is an injustice the Hall of Fame has the power — and the obligation — to correct.

“This is far more than a sports story — it’s a sports and society story; it’s actually a civil rights legacy story,” said Ivan Whitfield, President, NAACP Pine Bluff Branch. “During the time of college segregation, half of the greatest defensive line in professional football history attended HBCUs — specifically the SWAC — and one is from UAPB.”

A HBCU Legacy That Deserves Recognition

Greenwood’s journey from Arkansas AM&N — an HBCU — to the pinnacle of professional football is a story of excellence against the odds. His legacy belongs not only to Steeler Nation, but to every HBCU student and athlete who has ever been underestimated, overlooked, or measured by a lower standard. His induction would send a powerful message: greatness knows no zip code, and excellence transcends the draft round.

The dominance of HBCU-educated players on the greatest defensive units in NFL history is a story that connects directly to the civil rights legacy of professional football. The Legendary Defensive Unit category does not just honor the Steel Curtain. It corrects a pattern that has repeated itself across six decades and six franchises.

“The City of Pine Bluff is using cultural and heritage tourism as an economic revitalization strategy, and we have tremendous sports bona fides that need to be shared. People from Pine Bluff have changed professional sports: NFL Hall of Famer Don Hutson pioneered the modern wide receiver position and preceded NFL Hall of Famer Willie Roaf, who revolutionized the position of left tackle, are both Pine Bluff High School graduates; J. Mayo ‘Ink’ Williams was one of the first African Americans to play in the league — just try to imagine the NFL without African Americans” said Sheri Storie, Executive Director, Pine Bluff A&P Commission. “This lauded sports legacy includes getting L.C. Greenwood enshrined in Canton.”

Two Pathways to Justice

Sign the petition – www.change.org/LC-SteelCurtainHOF

We call on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee to act through either of the following:

1. Immediate individual induction of L.C. Greenwood as a Senior Nominee in the 2026 class — a class for which he is currently under active consideration; and/or
2. Creation of a “Defensive Unit” enshrinement category to recognize the Steel Curtain — Greene, Greenwood, White, and Holmes — collectively, as the dominant defensive unit of their era, similar to how the Hall honors contributors and coaches.

“The Hall of Fame’s systematic undervaluation of defensive players, particularly those who achieved greatness as part of a unit rather than as individual stars, is not just a Steel Curtain anomaly. It is a structural failure” said Chris Robinson, UAPB Athletic Director. “Richard Dent of the Bears attended Tennessee State — an HBCU. Ed “Too Tall” Jones of the Cowboys attended Tennessee State. Harvey Martin of the Cowboys attended East Texas State — the same school as Dwight White of the Steel Curtain.”

The time for deliberation has passed. L.C. Greenwood died in 2013 without receiving the call he earned. The Hall of Fame cannot give him that moment back. But it can honor his memory, validate his legacy, and correct a wrong that grows more glaring with each passing year.

Change.org Petition – www.change.org/LC-SteelCurtainHOF

#GoldShoesInCanton | #SteelCurtainHOF | #LCGreenwood

About the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission

The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission utilizes a local lodging and prepared food tax to fund projects and initiatives that promote tourism in the city. Through strategic marketing, community partnerships, and cultural programming, the Commission is committed to enhancing the city’s economic vitality and quality of life.

For interviews, historical background, or supporting materials, contact Michael McCray, Public Relations Specialist, Pine Bluff A&P Commission at mmccray@explorepinebluff.com

The Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission in Association with the Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame and the UAPB Athletic s Department.

LC-Steel Curtain Community Coalition ( Pine Bluff/Jefferson County)

• Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission
• Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame
• UAPB Athletics Department
• UAPB/AM&N Letter A Club
• NAACP Pine Bluff Branch 
• Pine Bluff Downtown Development
• Pine Bluff Economic & Community Development
• Land of Legends Tourism Association

CONTACT: Michael McCray, Public Relations Specialist, Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission, Phone: (870) 543-0024, Email: mmccray@explorepinebluff.com

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SOURCE Pine Bluff A&P Commission