Like
cornerback Robert James, Tony Greene was a free agent diamond in the rough
find for the Bills. Going undrafted in 1971, Greene was signed out of Maryland.
He was considered too small at 5'8" to play in the NFL. Tony Greene set
out to prove the experts wrong by intercepting 38 passes during his career
with the Bills, second only to Butch Byrd. In 1974 Greene intercepted 9 passes before injuring his knee against the Baltimore Colts in the next to last game. He was on pace to set the Bills single season interception mark when he went down, still he was selected 1st team All-AFC by UPI.
Greene returned from his injury and went on to play 5 more seasons with the Bills. In 1977 he again came one interception short of tying the Bills single season record, intercepting 9 passes and being selected to his first and only Pro Bowl.
In 1979 Greene started his last game at free safety for the Bills in game 12 against the Green Bay Packers but was benched in favor of Jeff Nixon. He was just two interceptions shy of Butch Byrd's all-time team record.
After giving everything he had left in him, in 1980 Tony Greene retired. Leaving behind his legacy as on of the most popular and one of the greatest Bills' free safeties of all time.