Greg Best (American football)
Encyclopedia
Gregory Lee Best is a former American football
defensive back
who played in the NFL
with the Pittsburgh Steelers
and the Cleveland Browns
.
and attended Blackhawk High School
in nearby Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
. He was named second-team All-Conference in football as a junior and first-team All-Conference his senior year.
where he walked on to the football team as a wide receiver. He became a four-year starter as a cornerback
and kickoff returner, although he redshirted
his sophomore season due to injury. As a senior in 1982, Best was named to the All-Big Eight Conference team.
He was invited to play in the Blue–Gray Football Classic all-star game following his senior season in 1982. He caught two interceptions in the game and was named the game's defensive MVP.
, but was signed shortly after the draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers
. He spent training camp with the team, but was among the final roster cuts. The Steelers re-signed Best after the third game of the 1983 season
when Eric Williams
was placed on the injured reserve list due to an ankle injury.
He played primarily as a special teamer with the Steelers with occasional reps at safety in passing situations. Best's finest performance as a pro came in week seven of 1983 against the rival Cleveland Browns
. In that game Best made three tackles in the kicking game, caused an incompletion with a hit on Ozzie Newsome
on defense and returned a fumble 94 yards for the game's final score. That 94-yard fumble recovery return was the longest of the season in the NFL.
Best was once again released by the Steelers prior to the 1984 season. He was picked up by the Browns, for whom he played five games in 1984. He later signed with the Memphis Showboats
of the United States Football League
(USFL), but the league folded before he had a chance to play. His bad luck continued when he signed with the Montreal Alouettes
of the Canadian Football League
only to see that team also fold before he could join them.
Best finished his playing career in 1988 after stints with the Pittsburgh Gladiators and the New York Knights
of the Arena Football League.
. He has also had an ownership interest in a sports bar in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
who played in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early life
Best was born in New Brighton, PennsylvaniaNew Brighton, Pennsylvania
New Brighton is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Beaver River northwest of Pittsburgh. There are deposits of coal and clay in the vicinity. In the past, articles produced here included pottery, bricks, sewer pipe, glass, flour, twine, lead kegs,...
and attended Blackhawk High School
Blackhawk High School
Blackhawk High School is a public high school serving grades 8-12 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA. It serves 1,121 students.-Demographics:The school's student population is 98% white, 1% Asian and 1% African American...
in nearby Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
. He was named second-team All-Conference in football as a junior and first-team All-Conference his senior year.
College Football
He matriculated at Kansas StateKansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
where he walked on to the football team as a wide receiver. He became a four-year starter as a cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and kickoff returner, although he redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his sophomore season due to injury. As a senior in 1982, Best was named to the All-Big Eight Conference team.
He was invited to play in the Blue–Gray Football Classic all-star game following his senior season in 1982. He caught two interceptions in the game and was named the game's defensive MVP.
Professional Football
Best went undrafted in the 1983 NFL Draft1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
, but was signed shortly after the draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. He spent training camp with the team, but was among the final roster cuts. The Steelers re-signed Best after the third game of the 1983 season
1983 Pittsburgh Steelers season
- Schedule :- Week 1 : vs. Denver Broncos :at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania* Game time: 1:00 pm EDT* Game weather:* Game attendance: 58,233* Referee: Jerry Seeman...
when Eric Williams
Eric Williams (safety)
Eric Thomas Williams is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State.Williams also played for the Detroit Lions....
was placed on the injured reserve list due to an ankle injury.
He played primarily as a special teamer with the Steelers with occasional reps at safety in passing situations. Best's finest performance as a pro came in week seven of 1983 against the rival Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In that game Best made three tackles in the kicking game, caused an incompletion with a hit on Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,...
on defense and returned a fumble 94 yards for the game's final score. That 94-yard fumble recovery return was the longest of the season in the NFL.
Best was once again released by the Steelers prior to the 1984 season. He was picked up by the Browns, for whom he played five games in 1984. He later signed with the Memphis Showboats
Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats were a franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders...
of the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
(USFL), but the league folded before he had a chance to play. His bad luck continued when he signed with the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
only to see that team also fold before he could join them.
Best finished his playing career in 1988 after stints with the Pittsburgh Gladiators and the New York Knights
New York Knights
The New York Knights were an Arena Football League team based in New York City. They played in the league for one season, 1988. They played their home games at Madison Square Garden. After going 2-10 overall in their only season the team ceased operations...
of the Arena Football League.
Post-football career
Since leaving football, Best has worked as a general contractorGeneral contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
. He has also had an ownership interest in a sports bar in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania*Cranberry Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania...
.