Lionbackers.com

joe kapp22 wrote: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

+1

I was worried!

I recall Don Matthews telling the media that he would not comment on a reason for releasing Sammy Greene. He held to that view despite a lot of pressure on him.

One of The Don's many graces as a coach.

Glad to hear Sammy is doing OK.
.....................

Coaches will tolerate a certain amount of stuff outside the box for a special athlete. But when team leaders turn against the player it is time to move on. Witness the latest epidsode with the Lions. The players know ...

That was a good story of a life turnaround that came a bit late to save a promising football career. It is good to hear that he has been able to fight the demons off and be a help to others. He was an exciting receiver who at times was not on the right route causing fans to blame QB Roy Dewalt for passing to space with no one there.

I knew guys on that Lions team and the urine in the helmet story is not anything I heard from them. It sounds like a story that makes little sense. Greene was an exciting player who when on his game was thrilling to watch.

I was watching the final regular season game of 1983 on YouTube (it was against the Ottawa Rough Riders, not the Roughriders):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqUc_ybyIrc
and they mentioned Sammy Greene no longer being with the team a couple of times. Curiosity led me here :-D . The original link to the Leader Post is dead, but here is an updated link to a third party site that has the article:
https://www.pressreader.com/canada/regi ... 4408921196

Side note, for those who watch the game, in the 4th quarter, around the 10min mark, they show a Lions player on the bench. I didn't recognize his younger face, but I sure recognized his gum chewing :-D .

obs wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:43 pm

I was watching the final regular season game of 1983 on YouTube (it was against the Ottawa Rough Riders, not the Roughriders):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqUc_ybyIrc
and they mentioned Sammy Greene no longer being with the team a couple of times. Curiosity led me here :-D . The original link to the Leader Post is dead, but here is an updated link to a third party site that has the article:
https://www.pressreader.com/canada/regi ... 4408921196

Side note, for those who watch the game, in the 4th quarter, around the 10min mark, they show a Lions player on the bench. I didn't recognize his younger face, but I sure recognized his gum chewing :-D .

Good to hear from you again, obs, and thanks for bumping this old thread.

To help everyone, you must be referring to 2:18:55. All I'll say is that three weeks later from that game, that person may very well be the most despised Lion for a long time...even until now as many people on this board still show their grudges against him.

Another bump by me because of YouTube!

Edmonton Eskimos vs BC Lions, Sep 25, 1983.

(There is another recording uploaded by a different user some years ago, but the game was undated.)

I was too young to really remember (or know) much about these games and players, but watching the first quarter, you see the speed of Sammy Greene. Lots of other Lions whose names are not familiar. Was the backup QB Paopao? If so, he doesn't look like the Paopao I remember. He seems to be wearing Passaglia's #5 jacket. Totally forgot about the "Loooo" chant. It would be fun to do it for any new kickers, as a tribute, but I guess it would be disrepectful to the new kicker.

Other familiar names: Jake Ireland, James Parker playing for the wrong team (!).

In the 80s, even football pads had the big shoulders :-D .

I actually met Sammy once a very long time ago. I was working for an agency and he came in to apply for a job. It wasn't with my program so I don't know what happened with it but as I recall it was shortly after his playing career ended. Hearing that he has kids in Coquitlam, it make sense now as that is where the agency was headquartered. It was a pretty humble setting for the likes of a CFL player and I did wonder how challenging it must have been to be in front of cheering crowds and then be at a small agency with minimal prospects looking for employment.

I just noticed that in the game above, you can hear the echoes when there was a field goal attempt. *boom*

Just wanted to mention it for any non-BC fans here who think that BC Place used to pump crowd noise over the speakers.

I just met Sammy Greene. He’s homeless on the streets of San Diego. He was very talkative and wanted us to buy him a shot. Honestly didn’t believe him when he told us who he was but upon verifying details he gave to us, it is clear it’s him. I can’t tell you how sad it is to see this happen to someone with the potential he once had.

Yea, that sure looks like Sammy. Very sad.


DH

That is horribly sad.

Toppy Vann wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 21, 2023 3:02 pm

That is horribly sad.

Sad but unfortunately not at all uncommon in the world of sports which in many ways is no different than the real world outside sports.

Oh man, I almost wish I hadn't read this. I would have much preferred to think of him as someone who had managed to overcome his demons.
Sadder still is that on balance, he seems to have been a nice guy who just ended up losing it all. I will hope that he climbs back out of the hole he is in.

Sammy’s “youngest” son here Nicolas (from
Coquitlam). I Have been looking on/off for some info about Sam for the last 10 or so years. Sad to see he never got on track but he was not a good person to his kids or my mother. She committed suicide last year after a battle with depression and he is partly to blame. Maybe I’ll try and find him in San Diego sometime but it doesn’t look like he needs any more negativity in his life. I’m sadly seeing a resemblance of him in myself and this may be the wake up call I needed. Anyway I’m just ranting to myself but thank you to whoever posted the previous photo/update of him. Message me if you have any way of contacting him or if you run into him again, would love to know if he even remembers he has children. Take care everyone.

Nicgreene19 wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 11, 2023 12:00 pm

Sammy’s “youngest” son here Nicolas (from
Coquitlam). I Have been looking on/off for some info about Sam for the last 10 or so years. Sad to see he never got on track but he was not a good person to his kids or my mother. She committed suicide last year after a battle with depression and he is partly to blame. Maybe I’ll try and find him in San Diego sometime but it doesn’t look like he needs any more negativity in his life. I’m sadly seeing a resemblance of him in myself and this may be the wake up call I needed. Anyway I’m just ranting to myself but thank you to whoever posted the previous photo/update of him. Message me if you have any way of contacting him or if you run into him again, would love to know if he even remembers he has children. Take care everyone.

Very sorry to hear the impact that this had on you and your family.

If you were able to reconnect, I doubt you'd find that it added any negativity to his life. Quite likely the opposite.

In January 1969 I was at SFU for my first semester and was looking for a place to rent when an older classmate of mine saw me looking at the housing postings. He suggested I come by and meet his wife and family and rent a room in his basement. I did. They invited me for dinner one night and the wife asked if Bill had told me his story. He hadn't so he did. Turned out he simply disappeared with the only trace he was spotted getting on a Greyhound bus. When he realized what he had done by this time he was living and working illegally in LA. He was fearful and didn't know how to go back. One summer his roommate's brother from Michigan came to stay there as he was off from his teaching job. Over drinks he got the full story. He then forced him to call his wife that night after nearly 2 years IIRC gone. He did and even after she said "when you coming home?" he still had no answer but this teacher grabbed the phone and said "We leave for Vancouver in the morning!" As he said that night, he'd have never come back if not for this person practically threatening him. This wasn't a drugs and alcohol story but a nice man who made some horribly bad decisions that if not for this one person he had must met, he'd never have come home to his kids and wife. They were young.

I don't know but it just might be that meeting you again might be helpful.

The poster DPAGA only posted here one time however, maybe one of the Captains here might know if they can reach this poster by email to see if they'd provide if they had any - information that might be helpful to you and your family.

I remember you playing football for Centennial HS and went on to university ball.

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