'Burgh's Best to Wear It, No. 99: Pitt's Hugh Green was devastatingly dominant

The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.

No. 99: Hugh Green

A “Sports Illustrated” cover called him “The Baddest Cat in the Game” in 1980, and no one who lined up opposite Hugh Green would argue about the Pitt defensive end’s dominance.

The devastation began with his debut as a freshman in 1977, when Green had 11 tackles, two sacks and a blocked punt against eventual national champion Notre Dame.

By the time his college career was finished, Green was a three-time, first-team All-American. As a senior, Green won the Lombardi Trophy, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards and finished second to George Rogers in Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish by a strictly defensive player.

Four decades later, Green still holds the Panthers’ record for career sacks (49) and ranks second all-time in tackles (441).

Not only is he the greatest defensive player in school history — and Pitt has three in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Chris Doleman, Rickey Jackson and Joe Schmidt — but Green was ranked the No. 12 player in college football history by ESPN.

Now he can add another honor: the best to ever wear No. 99 in Pittsburgh.

That’s no small feat, given the Steelers have a pair of greats who wore that jersey number.

Inside linebacker Levon Kirkland averaged 101 tackles a season for eight years, was a two-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl pick and was selected to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade team.

Defensive end Brett Keisel was a two-time Super Bowl champion (XL and XLIII) who was chosen to the 2010 Pro Bowl.

Keisel finished with 30 career sacks, nine fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and even had a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown against Tampa Bay in 2010 — not to mention the ’Burgh’s best beard.

But when it comes to 99 problems, Green was the biggest one.