Sammy Green

Samuel Lee Green (born October 12, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and early 1980s. He played college football for the Florida Gators, receiving consensus All-American honors in 1975. A second-round pick in the 1976 NFL draft, Green in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and the Houston Oilers.

Early life

Sammy Green was born in Bradenton, Florida in 1954. He attended Fort Meade High School in Fort Meade, Florida,databaseFootball.com, Players, . Retrieved June 3, 2010. where he played high school football for the Fort Meade Miners.

College career

Green accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Doug Dickey's Florida Gators football team from 1972 to 1975. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 87, 91, 96, 124, 153, 173, 181 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011. Memorably, as a sophomore in 1973, Green forced a critical fumble by Auburn Tigers tailback Sullivan Walker, which led to a touchdown and the Gators' margin of victory in a 12–8 upset of the Tigers at home—the Gators' first-ever win at Jordan–Hare Stadium. He was a team captain, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, and a consensus first-team All-American in 1975.2012 NCAA Football Records Book, The 1975 Gator defense yielded a paltry 9.5 points per game during the regular season. Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 8 & 14 (2012). Retrieved September 14, 2012. Green was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2003.F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014." Nine Inducted Into UF Hall of Fame", GatorZone.com (April 11, 2003). Retrieved July 21, 2011. In one of a series of articles published by The Gainesville Sun in 2006, the newspaper's sports editors ranked him as the No. 51 all-time greatest Gator among the top 100 players from the first century of the Florida football team.Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, " No. 51 Sammy Green", The Gainesville Sun (July 14, 2006). Retrieved April 5, 2013.

While a student at Florida, Green was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity (Theta Sigma chapter).

Professional career

The Seattle Seahawks selected Green in the second round (29th overall) in the 1976 NFL Draft,Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1976 National Football League Draft. Retrieved May 27, 2010. and he played for the Seahawks for four seasons from to .National Football League, Historical Players, Sammy Green. Retrieved May 27, 2010. He had three interceptions during his time with the Seahawks, including one that he returned ninety-one yards for a touchdown in , the longest in Seahawks history." Reed rumbles 108 yards for NFL record; Longest interception returns by team", Pro Football Hall of Fame (November 24, 2008). Retrieved July 10, 2014. Green played his final NFL season for the Houston Oilers in . He played in sixty-two NFL games in his five-season career, starting in forty-four of them. Spent four years in the USFL with Tampa Bay Bandits, Birmingham Stallions, Memphis Showboats and New Jersey Generals.

Life after football

Green completed his Master's Degree at Iowa State University, and as of 2010, is working to complete a Doctorate. He Has now retired from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.Gary White, " Polk's Former Pros Have No Regrets", The Ledger (August 28, 2010). Retrieved August 26, 2011. He now teaches English and Composition at Skagit Valley College in Washington State as of 2022.

Sammy Green

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