Pittsburgh Steelers

Hall of Famer Greene to Steelers' Harrison: Play if you can produce

Published Feb. 9, 2016 6:11 p.m. ET

foxsports

One of the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame has some advice for Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker James Harrison: Keep playing if you are still productive.

Linebacker Kevin Greene, who was voted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he registered 12 sacks at age 37 in his 15th and final season with the Carolina Panther.

Greene said his goal was to "go out on a high note and be productive" and mentioned the same criteria should apply for Harrison, who had five sacks and an interception in 2015 despite starting just one of 15 games. Harrison will turn 38 in May and is mulling whether to return for another season.

"I don't know where James is and the scheme of things," Greene said. "I look back at my career, the Super Bowl escaped me but I had a peace about my production and what I brought to every team I played for, not only production but leadership.

"I wanted to call my shot when I wanted to leave the game," added Greene, who recorded 35 1/2 of his 160 career sacks in three seasons with Pittsburgh. "I didn't want a coach to tell me, ‘Kevin we're going to cut you, Kevin you're too slow.' I wanted to go out on my own terms."