As “Mean” Joe Greene’s all-pro career with the Pittsburgh Steelers was beginning to wind down, Coke came calling in 1979 with an offer to appear in an ad. Greene, who had never acted before, was reluctant to take the gig at first. But he realized it was an opportunity he couldn't turn down. "Fortunately for me, it was one of the greatest decisions I made on my own," he said.
The 60-second commercial played during the 1980 Super Bowl (Greene’s fourth). It presented a gentler side to the hulking defensive tackle. It depicts him battered and tired after a game when a young fan offers him a Coke. Joe downs the beverage and then calls out “hey, kid - catch” ... tossing the boy his jersey. “Wow, thanks Mean Joe!” says the delighted child.
Like any normal Hollywood production, the shoot did include a few hiccups. Greene struggled to deliver the payoff line, made all the more difficult after chugging a 16-ounce Coca-Cola each time. But, after a few dozen takes – and after downing 2.25 gallons of Coke – he nailed it and production wrapped.
Coca-Cola screened the commercial at a bottler meeting in San Francisco and drew a standing ovation from those in attendance. Even Greene's "Steel Curtain" teammates approved. "Some of us had done local commercials, and most of them were kinda hokey so they'd usually draw a few laughs," Greene recalls. "But when I came into the locker room the morning after the Coke ad aired, all the guys were smiling and cheering for me."
