The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 28, 2005, Page B7, Image 17
Even though he didn't run out of1-formation,
Green became one ofUSC's most prolific rushers
Photo courtesy of Mike Safran
USC running back Harold Green played in a Super Bowl and Pro Bowl during his professional career with the Cincinnati
Bengals, Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams.
When he came to Carolina, Harold Green was told the
Gamecock offense would consist of mostly l-formation
running plays. The self-proclaimed Army brat who
graduated from Stratford High thought coach Joe Morrison’s
offense would consist of the traditional running plays he
had grown accustomed to in high school.
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ASSISTANT SPORTS E DITOR
“I was lied to,” Green said with a
laugh. “I was told we were going to
be in the I-formation. They were
going to pitch it Harold right,
Harold left, Harold off tackle, left
right.
“Players in the backfield involved
in the passing game. And when I got
here my freshman year, we were
looking at film of Canadian football.
They had four receivers, one back,
sometimes five receivers, no back.”
Even though the System was new,
Green’s decision to attend the
university wasn’t that hard of a
choice.
“A lot of southeastern schools took
an interest in my abilities and
athleticism,” Green said. “I wanted
to be a Florida Gator originally. That
was until they were on probation.
That ruled out Florida. Georgia,
Vince Dooley wanted me to be a
linebacker. Ruled out Georgia.
Visited Clemson. Didn’t like Danny
Ford chewing tobacco, particularly
during my official visit. So, decided
to rule out Clemson.”
What Green arrived to was a
Morrison-led coaching staff steeped
in experience and a roster loaded in
talent, while Morrison himself, the
man fans consider the best coach in
USC history, continued to work his
magic inside Williams-Brice.
“(Morrison) was one of the best
coaches I’ve ever had,” Green said.
“Very adamant about what he was
doing and coaching. Former players
make the best coaches, it goes
without saying.
“Fie treated us a little more on a
professional level.”
Green’s teammates were nothing
short of some of the best talent to
ever pass through the Gamecock
program.
|T ’ mm
+ Third highest career rusher at USC with
3,005 yards
♦ First all-time in career touchdowns, 31
rushing and two receiving
+ Drafted in the second round by the
Cinncinati Bengals
Graphic illustration by Laura-Joyce Gough/THE 6AMEG00K
1 decided for me it was time to step
back and evaluate the good things
that had happened to me in my career
thus far. Being able to play in a Pro
Bowl, play in a Super Bowl and go out
primarily on your own terms.’
“I think everybody complemented
each other based upon that we did
have an extensive amount of talent,”
Green said. “With of course Sterling
(Sharpe) being at the forefront
because of what he was exposed to
putting him into such a system. We
had a wealth of backs; Keith Bing,
who was our designated undersized
fullback, was probably our unsung
hero with what he brought to our
team and what he has done for me as
far as us being a tandem in the
backfield.
“Defensively, Joe Lee Dunn and a
defense that had just reckless
abandonment.”
“We always felt we had the
opportunity to get the ball and score.
Just basing it from the talent
everybody knew we had with Todd
(Ellis) being at the helm and having
85 percent of your plays being back
in the pocket and throwing the ball,
that’s what the run and shoot did.
“I’m not regretful by any means
that that system came into play. It
was just an explosive offense,” Green
“I was drafted in the second
round, the same round that drafted a
quarterback named Boomer Esiason
who ought to be a hall of fame
quarterback,” Green said. “Every
rookie came in during that ‘90s era,
and it was always ‘Rookie, earn your
keep.’ You didn’t, get paid the
escalated dollars guys are earning
now.”
Green’s final season with the
Falcons produced some of his lowest
totals as far as statistics, but one of
his most cherished memories as his
finale was against the Denver
Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.
“Most importantly for me, what
got me there was going to continue
to work ethic and attitude and
sustaining longevity for nine years
and would have been 10 years of
course. I decided for me it was time
to step back and evaluate the good
things that had happened to me in
my career thus far. Being able to play
in a Pro Bowl, play in a Super Bowl
and go out primarily on your own
terms.”
More than 15 years removed from
his last run at Williams-Brice, Green
is still a major name throughout the
Gamecock rushing records.
His 3,005 career rushing yards is
still good enough for third all-time in
USC history behind only Brandon
Bennett and George Rogers.
His 11 100-yard game tally is tied
for second in school history and his
33 career touchdowns ties him with
Rogers for best all-time.
Already a USC Hall of Fame
member, Green was also selected to
the 100 th Anniversary All-Time
USC football team in 1992.
«n l i III ))
said.
Will all the talent on the
Gamecock roster, Green and the
Gamecocks posted three winning
seasons from 1987 to 1989,
including back-to-back 8-4
campaigns.
Even while running the fun and
shoot, Green managed to become
one of the most dominate running
backs in the nation, posting a 1,022
yard season in 1987j' making him
only one of five Gamecocks to ever .
top the 1,000-yard mark in a season.
During that 1987 campaign,
Green posted 15 touchdowns, the"
highest ever rushed for by a USC
player in a single season, a record that
stands today.
Following up that performance
wouldn’t be easy, but Green did just
that two seasons later when he ran
for 989 yards during his senior
season, the lOth-best season total in
Carolina history.
All the success brought a lot of
spotlight to the running back who
earned East-West Shrine and All
South Independent Honors to close
out his career.
When the 1990 NFL Draft came
knocking, Green was considered one
of the best running backs up for
grabs, as the Cincinnati Bengals took
him in the second round with the
38th overall pick.
Green would play six years with
the Bengals, including his best season
numbers-wise in 1992 when he
rushed for 1,170 yards and earned
Pro-Bowl Honors.
After a one-year stint with the
Rams in 1996, Green finished his*
career with the Atlanta Falcons.
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Green said. “It doesn’t really dawn on
me that holding records is going to
be my legacy. People always come up
and tell me ‘You’re going to be in the
state hall of fame some day, just
hold.’
“And you know what? It doesn’t
matter to me. If I don’t, I don’t. If I
do, great.”
Following his retirement, Green
came back to the Capitol City and
became part of a group of former
players who ran a local car dealership
as well as a dealership in Pittsburgh.
He also is involved with USC,
working with athletes on their
academic standards.
“Being actively involved through
the university athletics program
through academics has always been a
plight for me in a sense that I would
mentor,” Green said. “That’s
something that is ongoing for me. I
continue to do that to this day.”
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