Tony Green (American football)

Anthony Edward Green (born September 26, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a kickoff returner and running back in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the late 1970s. Green played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Washington Redskins, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.

For the American football safety for the Buffalo Bills, see Tony Greene.
Tony Green
No. 34
Position:Kickoff returner, running back
Personal information
Born: (1956-09-26) September 26, 1956
Rochester, New York, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:Riverview (Sarasota, Florida)
College:Florida
NFL Draft:1978 / Round: 6 / Pick: 159
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Kickoff returns:66
Kickoff return yards:1,521
Punt returns:61
Punt return yards:581
Return touchdowns:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Green was born in Rochester, New York in 1956.[1] He attended Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida,[2] and he played high school football for the Riverview Rams.

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 1974 to 1977.[3] Memorably, he rushed eleven times for 178 yards (a 16.2-yard average) against the Maryland Terrapins in 1974, and ran eighty yards for a touchdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 1977.[3] He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection as a senior in 1977.[3] Green finished his four-year college career with 2,590 rushing yards on 445 carries (a 5.8-yard average), 287 yards receiving, and 775 yards in punt and kickoff returns.[3]

Professional career

The Washington Redskins chose Green in the sixth round (156th pick overall) in the 1978 NFL Draft,[4] and he played for the Redskins for a single season in 1978.[5] He had a remarkable rookie season as the Redskins' primary kick return specialist in 1978: forty-two punt return for 440 yards, and thirty-four kickoff returns for 870 yards.[1] Green was selected for the Pro Bowl as a kick returner after the season ended.[1]

He finished his NFL career in 1979, splitting the season between the New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks.[5]

See also

References
  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Tony Green. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  2. databaseFootball.com, Players, Tony Green Archived February 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  3. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 96, 138–140, 146–148, 150, 181 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  4. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1978 National Football League Draft. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  5. National Football League, Historical Players, Tony Green. Retrieved August 5, 2010.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X
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