Steelers great L.C. Greenwood among seniors category finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

L.C. Greenwood is among three seniors category finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

The former Steelers defensive lineman was a major part of the Steel Curtain, helping the team win four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s.

Drafted out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff by the Steelers in the 10th round (238th overall) in 1969, Greenwood played 13 seasons in Pittsburgh.

Greenwood was a two-time All-Pro defensive end and six-time Pro Bowl selection. He was picked to the Steelers all-time team, the NFL’s all-decade team for the ’70s and was selected for the Steelers inaugural Hall of Honor class in 2017.

He finished his career — 170 games all with the Steelers — with 73.5 sacks, which is fifth in Steelers history. He also was credited with 14 fumble recoveries. The NFL has credited Greenwood with 78 career sacks, which were not an official statistic during his playing days.

Greenwood died in 2013 at age 67.

The other finalists in the seniors category are Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson and 49ers running back Roger Craig.

Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft are the finalists in the coach and contributors category, respectively.

The selection committee will meet early next year and will announce the class before Super Bowl LX. Approval from at least 80% of the members of the committee is needed. Members of the committee can vote for three candidates out of the five presented to them, meaning Greenwood will compete for votes against Kraft and Belichick. These bylaws were approved by the Hall of Fame’s board of directors in 2024.

No more than three finalists can be elected. If none receives 80% approval, the candidate with the most support would gain election into the Class of 2026.

Ten players from the Super Steelers of the ’70s are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including five members of the Steel Curtain defense — Mel Blount, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Donnie Shell.

Offensive players Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann and Mike Webster and coach Chuck Noll also have been enshrined.

Among the candidates that did not reach the finals were Steelers vice president Art Rooney Jr. in the contributor category and former Steelers coach Buddy Parker, plus two coaches with western Pennsylvania roots: Chuck Knox and Marty Schottenheimer.