OK, OK . . . Maybe Green Can Help Noll Out After All

was a little more than a month ago that Eric Green picked up the morning newspaper and read that Pittsburgh Steeler Coach Chuck Noll told him it was a waste of everyone’s time for him to even show up this season.

Green, the No. 1 draft pick who held out of the entire camp during of contract negotiations, read that it was too late for him to help the Steelers. He wasn’t going to do anyone any good by signing now.

“I remember all that,” Green said Sunday in the aftermath of the Steelers’ 36-14 victory over the Chargers. “I wonder what he’s thinking now.”

Said Joe Walton, the Steeler offensive coordinator: “I can tell you exactly what Chuck’s thinking, because we both know that we have a very good player on our hands. Eric’s got the ability to make big plays, as you saw today, and he’s going to give teams a whole lot of trouble.”

Green, who played in his first game a week ago after signing Sept. 10, had his first three receptions of the season, and two happened to be for touchdowns.

“I’m going to enjoy this one as much as I can,” said Green, only the fourth player to be drafted out of Liberty College. “This is everything I’ve always hoped it would be. I walked up to Burt Grossman (the Charger defensive lineman from Pitt) after the game and just said, ‘Liberty, baby, Liberty.’

“He looked at me funny and just laughed, saying, ‘Nice game.’ ”

Grossman had made fun of the size of Green’s alma mater in comments earlier in the week.