Greg Hawthorne, a Super Bowl champion running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has died at the age of 69, his family announced on social media. Hawthorne was a rookie in 1979 when the Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV.
"On behalf of the Hawthorne family, it is with deep sadness that our brother Gregory Dale Hawthorne passed away last night," a Facebook post from the family read. "Please keep his mother and his children, his brother and sisters as well as the whole family in your prayers." A cause of death was not disclosed.
The Steelers selected Hawthorne with the No. 28 overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft. He played five seasons with Pittsburgh, splitting time between running back and wide receiver. During his tenure with the Steelers, he appeared in 59 games, accumulating 522 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He also recorded 55 receptions for 710 yards and three touchdown catches.
Hawthorne went on to play three seasons with the New England Patriots and one season with the Indianapolis Colts. In the 1985 AFC Championship game, he made a pivotal play for the Patriots by recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half. New England won that game and advanced to Super Bowl XX.
He concluded his NFL career having played in 105 games, scoring 11 total touchdowns and amassing 1,639 yards from scrimmage across his time with the Steelers, Patriots, and Colts.