ATHENS — Georgia’s Steve Greer, an All-American football player and longtime assistant coach, died Monday after a long illness. He was 73.

Despite weighing in at less than 200 pounds, Greer starred at defensive guard for the Bulldogs from 1967-69 and was a key player on the 1968 SEC championship team. Vince Dooley called him, “pound for pound, the greatest athlete I ever coached.” Likewise, legendary defensive coordinator Erk Russell described Greer as “the toughest player I ever coached.”

After college and a brief stint in the Canadian Football League, Greer returned to Georgia as a graduate assistant coach. He obtained a master’s degree, then was hired away by Auburn as a defensive assistant coach. Greer returned to UGA in 1979 and was part of the staff that won a national championship in 1980 and played for two others. He remained at Georgia until his retirement in 2009.

Greer coached defensive line for Dooley. Ray Goff and Jim Donnan, before assuming administrative roles for the remainder of his career. Greer was inducted into the University of Georgia Circle of Honor in 2014 and the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame in 2019. Greer was a native of Greer, S.C., and starred at Greer High School.

About the Author

Keep Reading

University of Georgia coach Mike White gives direction to the team in second half action at Stegeman Coliseum Saturday, February 17, 2024. (Nell Carroll for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Nell Carroll

Featured

Workers, clean up damaged house near Paulding County High School after a storm passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Dallas. National Weather Service teams will be conducting a damage survey in the Paulding County/Dallas area, which sustained “pretty significant” damage from the storms, NWS Senior Meteorologist Dylan Lusk told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday morning. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC