Former Steelers lineman Green was given Coke ad award

30 years after he played a role in a 1979 commercial for Coke, the former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Mean Joe Greene was given a award upon the 30th anniversary for the ad’s airing.

The award is given annually for excellence in advertising, and Greene earned it for his role in the 1979 commercial, which has been frequently cited as among the best in TV history. In the commercial, he flipped his Steelers jersey to a young fan who handed him a cold Coke as the weary Steelers’ lineman limped to the locker room following a game.

Tommy Okon played the young fan in the commercial at the age of 9. And he was also present when Greene was given the award on a ceremony for the 30th anniversary of airing. The time was before the Bengals-Steelers game Sunday.