Cullowhee, N.C. – Former Western Carolina football standout George “Tiger” Greene was a part of the 58th class inducted into the WNC Sports Hall of Fame. Greene was inducted into the Hall at the awards banquet presented by Ingles on Sunday, May 19 at the Omni Grove Park Inn in a Hall of Fame ceremony that is conducted by the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club.
Greene was inducted into the Western Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
A Western North Carolina native and former East Henderson High product, Greene was a four-year starter in the Catamount football secondary from 1981 through 1984, twice garnering All-Southern Conference plaudits in addition to being a two-time Associated Press All-America selection in 1983 and 1984, helping WCU to a 19-6-1 record in those seasons. He was also an integral part of the 1983 NCAA I-AA National Runner-up team.
Greene remains tied for third in the WCU defensive record books with 16 career interceptions, tied with former teammate Miles Nicholson (1982-85). He continues to hold WCU's single-season and career records for blocked kicks with four in 1983 and seven over his four-year career.
Following his graduation from WCU, Greene played six seasons in the NFL, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1985 where he started seven games as a rookie. He then played for the Green Bay Packers from 1986 through 1990, playing in each game from 1988 to 1990 with 23 starts. Greene recorded six career interceptions and four sacks, posting a career year in 1990 where he had 41 tackles with a pair of blocked punts including a 36-yard return for a score.
He also spent the 1993 season playing the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Charlotte Rage after working out with the Miami Dolphins in attempting a comeback.
The WNC Hall of Fame inductees are selected by the 12 board members of the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club, which has been conducting the banquet since 1959. Created in 1978, the WNC Sports Hall of Fame will grow to 90 members with the inclusion of the Class of 2019.
For more information on the WNC Sports Hall of Fame, visit WNCSportsAwards.org.
