Roy Green facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Roy Green

Green with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984
No. 25, 81
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1957-06-30) June 30, 1957 (age 68) Magnolia, Arkansas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:	Magnolia
College:	Henderson State (1975–1978)
NFL Draft:	1979 / Round: 4 / Pick: 89
Career history
St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals (1979) Philadelphia Eagles (1991)
Career highlights and awards
2× First-team All-Pro (1983, 1984) 2× Pro Bowl (1983, 1984) NFL receiving yards leader (1984) NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1983) Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 559 Receiving yards: 8,965 Receiving touchdowns: 66
Player stats at PFR

Roy Calvin Green (born June 30, 1957) is a former American football player. He was known as "Jet Stream" during his career. Roy Green played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He also played college football for the Henderson State Reddies. Green started his NFL career with the St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals. He played his first three seasons as a safety. He finished his career with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1991 to 1992.

Early Life and High School Football

Roy Green was born on June 30, 1957, in Magnolia, Arkansas. He went to Magnolia High School. There, he played football, basketball, and ran track every year. In football, he was a star player. He played as a split end and defensive back. He also returned punts and kickoffs. Green was also a kicker for his team.

Championship Season

In his senior year, 1974, Green helped his team win the state Class AA football championship. He was chosen for the All-District and All-State football teams. He was also named to the Arkansas Gazette Super Dream Team. In 2019, Magnolia High School honored Green by retiring his number 25 jersey.

College Football Career

Green played college football at Henderson State University. He played in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) from 1975 to 1978. In 1978, he was a team captain. His team won two AIC championships while he was there.

Playing Style and Awards

In college, Green played defensive back and returned kicks. He was named All-AIC from 1976 to 1978. In 1978, he was also named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-District. He received NAIA All-American honorable mention in 1977. Then, in 1978, he became an NAIA All-American. Green led the AIC in both interceptions and punt returns in 1978.

Memorable College Game

On November 4, 1978, in a game against the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Green scored three touchdowns. None of these were from playing offense. He scored on a 90-yard kickoff return, a 65-yard punt return, and a 40-yard interception return. He also blocked a field goal attempt in that game. At Henderson, his friends called him "the Green Machine." Later, as a professional player, he became known as "Jet Stream."

Professional Football Career

The Cardinals picked Roy Green in the fourth round of the 1979 NFL draft. He was drafted to play strong safety and return kicks. In 1979, he mainly returned kicks. He also returned punts and was a backup strong safety. As a rookie, he was great at returning kicks. He even had a 106-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. This tied an NFL record at the time.

Switching Positions

In 1981, Green became a two-way player. This means he played both offense and defense. He started playing as a wide receiver part-time. He caught 33 passes for 708 yards, averaging almost 21.5 yards per catch. On September 20, against the Washington Redskins, he caught a 58-yard touchdown pass. In the same game, he also made an interception. This was a rare achievement. He did this two more times that year. The next season, Green fully became a wide receiver. He played very well in that season, which was shorter due to a player strike.

Peak Performance and Achievements

Green truly excelled in the next few seasons. In 1984, he led the league with 1,555 receiving yards. This was the third-highest total in a season at that time. In 1983, he led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns. Green was the Cardinals' top receiver in 1983, 1984, and 1988. He was chosen as a first-team All-Pro in 1983 and 1984. He also played in the Pro Bowl both of those years.

Later Career and Retirement

Green continued to play with the Cardinals after they moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1987. In 1988, he caught 68 passes for 1,097 yards and seven touchdowns. This was his third season with over 1,000 receiving yards. In 1990, he caught 53 passes, reaching 500 career receptions. Only 24 other players had achieved this by then. In 1991, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Later that year, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles. He played for the Eagles in 1991 and 1992. He retired from football in 1993.

John Madden, a famous football coach and commentator, once said he thought Green was not just the best wide receiver, but the best player in the game. Green finished his career with 559 catches for 8,965 yards and 66 touchdowns. He also gained many yards from rushing and returning kicks. Overall, he had 11,391 total yards and scored 69 touchdowns. His 66 receiving touchdowns and 69 total touchdowns were team records for the Cardinals for a long time.

Honors and Recognition

On October 2, 2016, Roy Green was added to the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor. This is a special group of players recognized by the team. On September 15, 2017, he was also inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

Honors and Awards

Roy Green has received many awards and honors:

• In 1983 and 1984, he was chosen as First-Team All-Pro and played in the Pro Bowl.
• In 1997, he was inducted into the Henderson State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
• In 2001, he was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
• In 2016, he was inducted into the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor.
• In 2017, he was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
• In 2019, Magnolia High School retired his number 25 jersey.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

Life After Football

After retiring from the NFL, Roy Green worked as part of the Arizona Cardinals' broadcast team. He also started focusing on helping other athletes. He works to raise awareness about sleep apnea, a condition where a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep. He has helped many former players get treatment for this condition.

Health Challenges

In 2012, Green was diagnosed with kidney disease. This was due to using anti-inflammatory medicines for a long time during his playing career. After a year of dialysis, where a machine cleans the blood, both of his daughters offered to donate a kidney to him. His daughter Miyosha was chosen, and Green had a successful kidney transplant surgery in November 2013.