​Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Greg Hawthorne has died at the age of 69, his sister Michelle Payton announced in a social media post. “On behalf of the Hawthorne family, it is with deep sadness that our brother Gregory Dale Hawthorne passed away last night,” Payton wrote. “Please keep his mother and his children, his brother and sisters as well as the whole family in your prayers.”
Hawthorne was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. During his five seasons in Pittsburgh, he accumulated 522 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 136 carries, and he played a role on the team that won Super Bowl XIV against the Los Angeles Rams—the Steelers’ last championship until their Super Bowl XL victory in the 2005-06 season.
After leaving the Steelers, Hawthorne spent four seasons with the New England Patriots, where he contributed mostly on special teams. He finished his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts in 1987, retiring with a total of 11 touchdowns.
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