Johnie Cooks: Former Colts and Browns linebacker dies at 64

Johnie Cooks, the former Colts and Browns linebacker who won the Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 1991, died on July 6, 2023, at the age of 64.

Born on November 23, 1958, Cooks was a linebacker for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and was selected by the Baltimore Colts as the second overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft.

From 1982 – 1991, he played for the Colts, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns.

The crowning moment of his NFL career was in 1991 when the Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills 20–19 in Super Bowl XXV.

Cooks played in 128 career games, starting 97 of them, and totaled 32 sacks, five fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), and four interceptions in that time.

At Mississippi State, Cooks once recorded 24 tackles in a single game against Auburn. He was named All-SEC three times and earned recognition from five All-America teams at the end of the 1981 college season.

He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Source: abtc.ng