Greenwood, a four-year starter, had
the ability to do it all. When he wasn't
blowing up the running back, he was
a ball-hawk in the secondary. He finished with 10 career interceptions.
Michigan made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
"They were talking serious money," he said. "I had
to grab it."
The Panthers signed Greenwood to a contract
that exceeded the NFL first-round deals signed by
Pitt's Tim Lewis (No. 11 to Green Bay) and USC's
Joey Browner (No. 19 to Minnesota).
If the USFL was good enough for Herschel Walker,
it was good enough for Greenwood, whose rookie
season in Michigan was punctuated by a championship; the Panthers beat Philly in the title game.
Greenwood, who also excelled as
a punter, was named to The Sporting
News USFL All-Star team. Despite his
early success with the Panthers, he still
had not given up on his NFL dream.
In 1985, he jumped leagues and
signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Everything was going well ― he was
starting ― until he began to burn out,
a by-product of the USFL's spring-summer schedule.
"I just didn't feel like hitting anyone
anymore," he confided.
After being released by Tampa Bay,
he signed a two-year contract with the
Green Bay Packers.
"It was great going back home," he
said of his return to Wisconsin. "Forrest Gregg was the head coach and he
was like my father. If you did your job,
you were fine. If not, he jumped all over
you."
During the offseason, Greenwood renewed his commitment to football. "I
worked my tail off," he said, "and I got
in the best shape of my life. I was 217
pounds and running like a deer."
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But a nasty groin injury ― "I ripped the muscle
off my pelvis" ― kept him on the sidelines. A 24-day
NFL players strike in 1987 also conspired against
him and he wasn't willing to cross the picket line.
It was pretty much a wasted season for Greenwood, who was cut loose by the Packers. After a tryout with the Oakland Raiders, he announced his retirement from pro ball and picked up his golf clubs.
"I started playing golf when I was 13," he said,
"and I happened to be pretty good at it."
Athletically, there was very little that he couldn't
do; making him a natural for a Hall of Fame.
