Mississippi’s Starkville (AP) — Johnie Cooks, a three-time SEC all-star linebacker and Super Bowl champion, passed away. He was
sixty-four.
Mississippi State, where Cooks played for four seasons, announced his passing on Thursday. No reason for the death was stated.
Cooks recorded 392 tackles and 24 sacks during his time in college. In 1978 and 1981, he was Mississippi State’s leading tackler on two
occasions. Cooks recorded a career-high 24 tackles in an Auburn game in 1980.
Cooks, a native of Leland, Mississippi, is most remembered for forcing a fumble close to the goal line in 1980, which kept the Bulldogs’
6-3 victory over No. 1 Alabama intact.
Following his 1982 No. 2 overall draft selection by Baltimore, Cooks spent ten seasons in the NFL. Before joining the New York Giants
and being a part of their 1990 Super Bowl title season, he played six games with the Colts. In 1991, he concluded his playing career
with the Cleveland Browns.
Zac Selmon, the athletic director at Mississippi State, sent his condolences to Cook’s family. Selmon stated in a statement, “Johnie will
be remembered forever in Starkville as he is cemented as an MSU legend.”
Cooks is a member of the Bulldogs’ Ring of Honor at Davis Wade Stadium and was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
in 2004.
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