Alabama State legend inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Published 5:09 pm Tuesday, May 7, 2019

One of the greatest football players in Alabama State history is headed to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Former Hornets wide receiver Terry Greer will be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8 in Hamilton, Ontario.

Greer, who played at ASU from 1976 to 1979, will be inducted alongside Mervyn Fernandez, Jon Cornish, the late Ernie Pitts David Williams, coach Frank Smith and longtime CFL executive Jim Hopson.

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Greer doesn’t have eye-popping statistics, but the 61-year-old set two standards in professional football.

The Memphis, Tennessee native became the first player to win a Grey Cup and Super Bowl. Only seven other players have accomplished the feat. Greer won a Grey Cup ring with the Toronto Argonauts in 1983 and two Super Bowl titles for the San Francisco 49ers in 1988 and 1989.

In 1983, Greer became the first pro football player to have a 2,000-yard receiving season with Toronto. He had 113 catches for 2,003 yards and 8 touchdowns during the Argonauts’ Grey Cup season.

Greer played with the Toronto from 1980 to 1985 and left the CFL to give the NFL an opportunity.

In the NFL, Greer played for the Cleveland Brown (1986), San Francisco (1987-89) and closed his career with the Detroit Lions (1990). He only had 38 receptions for 640 yards and four TDs in 50 games.

What impressed me the most is that Greer played with three Hall of Fame quarterbacks in both leagues. He was Condredge Holloway’s favorite target in Toronto. Holloway was the first African-American quarterback to play in the SEC.

As a 49er, Greer played with Joe Montana and Steve Young, two on my list of top 10 all-time NFL quarterbacks. Many pro football observers considered Montana as the greatest quarterback ever until New England’s Tom Brady eclipsed him.

Greer is a success off the field. He currently lives with his family near Cleveland and a manager at Hexagon Industries, a company that manufactures and imports premium fasteners.