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Sammy Greene

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:10 am
by B.C.FAN
From the "Where are they now" file:
Ex-Lion Sammy Greene admits that drugs and alcohol ruined his career. He's now 47, living in Bellingham, doing security work for a small casino, and travels to Coquitlam weekly to see his two kids.
Leader-Post article

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:31 am
by KnowItAll
it is so damn easy to screw up ones own life, no matter what "gifts" you are blessed with when born.

I hope he really has turned it around permanently :cr:

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 11:14 am
by TheLionKing
What's gone is gone. Good to hear that he's turning his life around. :thup:

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:57 pm
by OrangeShoes99
"I built B.C. Place. I was the one who opened up the stadium with a whole new attitude."
Uhh you were exciting Sammy, but you didn't build the dome. :roll:

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:11 pm
by Belize City Lion
I can't remember... did Greene get cut from the Lions before the WDF or the Grey Cup in 1983?

I do remember hearing a rumour that his teamates were fed up with him and showed their distain by filling his helmet with urine and leaving it his locker. Anyone else remember that hearing that or know if it was true?

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:21 pm
by Toppy Vann
All I know is that there were rumours of drug use at the time he was with BC and that this might have included use of something before games (that is not substantiated). Greene was a truly gifted player who lacked the maturity and ability to stay away from drugs and booze as he admits. He was also often the reason for a Roy DeWalt pass to bounce off the turf in an area where no receiver was to be found - BUT - players said privately that it was Sammy Greene running mythical pass routes and not being where he should have been.

Don Matthews tolerated too much from him at the time but I can't recall his BC demise.

It is great that he acknowledges the wasting of that part of his life and his talent and hopefully he can find peace with that and move on to a happy, fulfilled life that includes a nice family.

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:25 pm
by B.C.FAN
I heard the story of players filling Greene's helmet with urine and that he often didn't run his assigned route, but I didn't know why.

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:56 pm
by Sir Purrcival
I don't know if I quite remember the details but I recall something to the effect of this.

The Lions were getting close to the end of the season and they had secured a playoff spot of some kind. They had one regular season game remaining and that was against Saskatchewan in Riderland. IIRC, Greene went to the coaches and said that he didn't wan't to go because it was too cold. I think this was the last straw in a chain of several issues whereupon he was then suspended. I don't remember much after that. The irony of it all was that he ended up in Sask the next season.

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:45 pm
by Robbie
Having known all this information, I wonder if the SammyGreene on this board is considering changing screen names.

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 11:11 pm
by TheLionKing
Sir Purrcival wrote:I don't know if I quite remember the details but I recall something to the effect of this.

The Lions were getting close to the end of the season and they had secured a playoff spot of some kind. They had one regular season game remaining and that was against Saskatchewan in Riderland. IIRC, Greene went to the coaches and said that he didn't wan't to go because it was too cold. I think this was the last straw in a chain of several issues whereupon he was then suspended. I don't remember much after that. The irony of it all was that he ended up in Sask the next season.
You're absolutely dead on the details.

Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:25 pm
by Ravi
Toppy Vann wrote:All I know is that there were rumours of drug use at the time he was with BC and that this might have included use of something before games (that is not substantiated). Greene was a truly gifted player who lacked the maturity and ability to stay away from drugs and booze as he admits. He was also often the reason for a Roy DeWalt pass to bounce off the turf in an area where no receiver was to be found - BUT - players said privately that it was Sammy Greene running mythical pass routes and not being where he should have been.

Don Matthews tolerated too much from him at the time but I can't recall his BC demise.

It is great that he acknowledges the wasting of that part of his life and his talent and hopefully he can find peace with that and move on to a happy, fulfilled life that includes a nice family.
Back in 1983, I can recall Don Matthews saying in a TV interview that he would immediately release any player he suspected was using drugs. A few weeks later, despite playing some tremendous football for the Lions, Greene was released. I guessed right then and there that he was released because of drug use and that would appear to be at least part of the reason by Greene's own admission.

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 10:24 am
by nelson95
All your dreams are made
When you're chained to the mirror and the razor blade

Re: Sammy Greene

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:46 pm
by susanlmx
I have known and been with Sam Greene for over 15 years now, and he has changed his life. I love him and know what a good heart he has. He still lives with his demons and will for the rest of his life. He still regrets what he did to mess up a career that would have been great, his one love in life to this day.

Re: Sammy Greene

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:54 pm
by Anglophone
That's great to hear, Susan.

Re: Sammy Greene

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 5:12 pm
by joe kapp22
Goodness, many times when you see a thread entitled with a Forumites' name it is bad news for a member of that community, thankfully this is not one of those times.

Different "Sammy Greene"'s