Greg Hawthorne, a utility player, played nine seasons in the NFL across three franchises and won a Super Bowl in his rookie year. He passed away at the age of 69.

His family announced the news on Facebook on July 10. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

"On behalf of the Hawthorne family, it is with deep sadness that our brother Gregory Dale Hawthorne passed away last night," the family statement read, per Daily Mail. "Please keep his mother and his children, his brother and sisters as well as the whole family in your prayers."

Hawthorne was born on September 5, 1956, in Memphis. He played college football at Baylor, where a broken hip during his senior season threatened to derail his entire draft stock, per Daily Mail's July 10 report.

"When I woke up from my hospital bed, an Atlanta scout was there telling me they'd take me in the third round," Hawthorne said in a 2016 interview published by The Pittsburgh Sports Daily Bulletin. "But I rehabbed and got better, and the Steelers drafted me."

That line tells you everything about his character. Hawthorne could have accepted a lower draft slot and moved on. Instead, he fought back and earned a first-round selection from Pittsburgh, who took him 28th overall in the 1979 NFL Draft.

He entered one of the deepest backfields in football behind Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, and Sidney Thornton. His best season came in 1980 when injuries created an opening. He started five games, rushed for 263 yards, and scored four touchdowns, all career highs.

During his rookie season, he won the Super Bowl XIV as Pittsburgh beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-19.

Hawthorne joined the New England Patriots in 1984 and reached another Super Bowl following the 1985 season, this time a loss to the Chicago Bears. He finished his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 1987.

Across nine seasons, he played in 112 regular-season games, rushing for 784 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 92 passes.

He never locked down a starting spot but stuck around for nearly a decade across various positions. Running back, wide receiver, tight end, special teams: he could do it all.

He did whatever the team needed and kept finding ways to stay on the roster.

Greg Hawthorne made a pivotal play in the Patriots’ 1985 AFC Championship win

The Super Bowl ring with Pittsburgh was not his only big moment under pressure.

During the 1985 AFC Championship game as a member of the Patriots, he recovered a Dolphins fumble that proved critical in New England's upset victory, per OfficialObituary.

That play sent the Patriots to Super Bowl XX, where they faced the Chicago Bears. It was the kind of contribution that does not show up in the box score but changes the direction of a game entirely.

Hawthorne is survived by his mother, children, and siblings. Service arrangements had not been announced as of writing this article.

Read more at the Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit