Uncovered from the two-week-deep miasma of fetid Super Bowl coverage was the scrap of promotional news of the reunion this weekend between former Pittsburgh Steelers great Joe Greene and the boy, Tommy Okon, who famously offered Mean Joe his bottle of Coke in the commercial that aired during Super Bowl 14.
It should be noted that Roger Staubach, born on this day in 1942, was the original choice for the Greene role. The Heisman Trophy winner in 1963 and the Super Bowl MVP for the Dallas Cowboys in 1972, however, projected the wrong image.
It should be noted that Roger Staubach, born on this day in 1942, was the original choice for the Greene role. The Heisman Trophy winner in 1963 and the Super Bowl MVP for the Dallas Cowboys in 1972, however, projected the wrong image.
“Somebody asked me about that and said that I turned it down,” Staubach told me, “but that’s not the case. I would have loved to do it. Some creative guy must have evaluated the concept and said, ‘Hey, we need a mean guy. It would be better to have Joe Greene than Staubach because Staubach’s a nice guy.’
“It probably made more sense, gave a more cuddly feeling to it, to have this big old tough football player give his jersey to this little boy. It turned out, I guess, it was the right decision, but I would have loved to do it.”
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