Greg Lloyd

American football player (born 1965)
the American football linebacker

Gregory Lenard Lloyd Sr. (born May 26, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was named to five Pro Bowls and three All Pro teams.

Lloyd attended Fort Valley State University, where he was a three time All Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection, a three time team Defensive MVP, and as a senior, he was the SIAC Player of the Year, and a first team Sheridan All American selection. He was also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Lloyd did not receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, but did play in the Heritage Bowl. Pittsburgh Steelers' scouts viewed a videotape of Lloyd in the historically black college All Star Game and were impressed by his ability to play sideline to sideline as he exhibited a bit of a mean streak. Steelers' scout, Tom Donahoe, flew to Atlanta and drove 2 1/2 hours to Fort Valley State to work out Lloyd and was further impressed. Lloyd was the 28th linebacker drafted in 1987 by then Steelers coach Chuck Noll. On July 28, 1987, it was reported that Lloyd had suffered a sprained left knee in training camp, which sidelined him for his entire rookie season in 1987 and most of the 1988 season. He was a starter during the 1989 season as an outside linebacker and he excelled. He became the emotional and fiery leader of the Steelers defense after the retirement of inside linebacker David Little. Lloyd teamed with cornerback Rod Woodson, whom he got drafted with, to give the Steelers two of the most dynamic and dominating defensive players in the game.

Lloyd once again missed the entire 1996 season due to another knee injury. He then returned as a starter in the 1997 season but missed several games due to a staph infection. He was named to five Pro Bowls and three NFL All Pro teams during this time. Lloyd left the Steelers in 1998 and played for the Carolina Panthers before retiring. A true leader and student of the game, Lloyd continued to impact the Steelers defense while injured from the sideline by teaching young linebackers Chad Brown and Jason Gildon the finer points of Steelers linebacking tradition. In 2020, the Steelers inducted him into their Hall of Honor.

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds TD FF FR 1988 PIT 9 4 33 – – 0.5 0 0 0 2 1 1989 PIT 16 16 92 – – 7.0 3 49 0 1 3 1990 PIT 15 14 62 – – 4.5 1 9 0 1 0 1991 PIT 16 16 76 – – 8.0 1 0 0 6 2 1992 PIT 16 16 96 – – 6.5 1 35 0 5 4 1993 PIT 15 15 111 – – 6.0 0 0 0 5 1 1994 PIT 15 15 87 69 18 10.0 1 8 0 5 1 1995 PIT 16 16 116 88 28 6.5 3 85 0 6 0 1996 PIT 1 1 2 2 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1997 PIT 12 12 52 30 22 3.5 0 0 0 3 3 1998 CAR 16 14 64 48 16 1.0 1 3 0 1 1 Career 147 139 791 237 84 54.5 11 189 0 35 16

Lloyd was born in Miami, Florida, and was raised by his mother there until the age of two. In 1967, Lloyd's mother drove him and five of his eight siblings to Fort Valley, Georgia, and left them with his Aunt Bertha Mae. He has never met his father and was raised in a two bedroom apartment along with nine other children. Lloyd grew up in poverty and had two outfits to wear throughout the week. He began playing football at the age of six and played fullback and linebacker in high school. Lloyd has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which he currently teaches. He is also well known for using an expletive in a nationally televised interview with NBC's Jim Gray after Pittsburgh defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the 1995 AFC Championship. Lloyd's son Greg Lloyd Jr. was a linebacker for the University of Connecticut football team, and he wears #95 like his father.