National Football League

Mean Joe Green finally gets Coke ad award

Published Nov. 15, 2009 8:03 p.m. ET

foxsports

Mean Joe Greene already had his four Super Bowl rings. Now, 30 years later, he also has his CLIO for one of TV's most famous commercials. Greene earned the award, given annually for excellence in advertising, for his role in the 1979 commercial in which he flipped his game jersey to a young fan who handed him a cold Coke as the weary Steelers' lineman limped to the locker room following a game. The commercial has been frequently cited as among the best in TV history. Greene was not available to receive the award at the time it was presented. When Coke realized upon the 30th anniversary of the commercial's airing that Greene still didn't have it, a ceremony was held before the Bengals-Steelers game Sunday. Tommy Okon, who played the wide-eyed youngster in the commercial, watched as Greene was given the award. He was 9 at the time of the filming.