BY STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
WICHITA – John Zook, the anchor of the Kansas defense during the Jayhawks’ 1968 Orange Bowl season, died Sunday at age 72. The All-American defensive end starred for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1970s. Zook earned the first safety in Falcons’ history in 1971.
His death occurred 24 days after his college coach, Pepper Rodgers, died at age 88.
Zook’s name appears in KU’s ring of honor at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and he was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. His bio on the KSHOF.org web site features high praise from Rodgers.
“He never played but full speed from snap one to snap 100,” Rodgers said of Zook. “He was the most full-speed player on every snap that you could imagine.”
Zook is the greatest football player in Larned High School history. Zook played college football for his native Jayhawks, and served as a team captain in 1968. Kansas tied as co-champions of the Big Eight, and finished No. 6 in the country and an Orange Bowl.
Zook finished his KU career with 202 tackles in three varsity seasons — the fourth best total by a defensive lineman in school history — and played a key role in KU finishing 9-2 and reaching the Orange Bowl during his senior season.
Kansas lost that game, 15-14 to Penn State. The Nittany Lions were gifted a second chance at a two-point conversion after KU was flagged for 12 men on the field. The Jayhawks stopped Penn State’s first attempt at the game-winning score.
The Orange Bowl was KU’s first bowl appearance since 1961 and marked the program’s first trip to the Orange Bowl since 1948. KU returned to the Orange Bowl in 2008, when they knocked off Virginia Tech to finish the 2007 season with a 12-1 record.
In 2008, Zook and several of his former KU teammates had a reunion in Florida ahead of the Jayhawks’ victory.
Zook was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, but was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. In Atlanta, Zook combined with NFL Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey. Zook and Humphrey formed a potent pass-rushing duo, becoming their team's greatest strength.
Known as "The Zooker,” Zook's greatest success in Atlanta would come during a 1973 season where the team finished 9-5. Zook earned second-team All-Pro honors in 1973 and joined Humphrey in the Pro Bowl.
Humphrey called it "the most fun I had" in his Hall of Fame career.
"The most fun I had the whole time I played football was the time John and I had that season when we were both selected to the Pro Bowl," Humphrey told an Atlanta newspaper. "We figured out we were better together than we were individually."
Zook was revered for his toughness, as he missed zero games during his seven seasons in Atlanta. Zook had four career interceptions. Zook played his final four seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Zook returned to Wichita, where he spent his days working on the family farm.
After a prolonged battle against cancer, Zook opted to cease treatment at the start of the year. Over the weekend, Zook was joined by several of his former Falcons teammates on a Zoom conference call, where they said their goodbyes. Zook will be buried in a family plot in Larned.
Zook’s funeral service will be held at Larned’s Beckwith Mortuary Chapel Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Bill Stapleton presiding. Public live stream via Facebook at www.facebook.com/beckwithmortuary.
JOHN ELDON ZOOK
WICHITA – John Eldon Zook, 72, passed away June 6, 2020 at his home in Wichita. He was born Sept. 24, 1947 in Garden City to Milford and Bernice Zook.
John spent his freshman season at Zook High School where he played eight-man football. Upon transferring to Larned, John was a Kansas All-State athlete in football, basketball, and track, respectively.
He attended the University of Kansas on a football scholarship. John was a two-time Big 8 selection as a defensive end. His senior year he was named team captain and earned First-Team All-American honors as a defensive end. Over the course of his KU career, John compiled 202 career tackles, fourth overall in school history. John is one of only fifteen players in the University of Kansas Football Ring of Honor.
Following his outstanding collegiate career, John played seven years for the Atlanta Falcons and four years for the St. Louis Cardinals. While in Atlanta, he recorded the first ever safety in the team’s history in 1971; was selected to play in the 1973 NFC Pro Bowl team; and never missed a game in all seven seasons as an Atlanta Falcon. He played in a total of 144 professional games before retiring in 1979.
John was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Over his lifetime, John donated over 16 gallons of blood to American Red Cross. John was an avid outdoorsman. He spent many days afield with his brothers and nephews, hunting and fishing. John also enjoyed skydiving until his main parachute failed to open. Other hobbies included, attending as many KU and Atlanta Falcon games as he could. John also returned yearly to help his brother’s harvest. John often brought his mother roses that he grew in his garden. He loved being a big brother and an uncle to his nieces and nephews. He enjoyed being called Uncle John.
He is survived by his brothers, Jim (Jane) Zook, Dean Zook, and Dale (Beth) Zook, three nephews, Denny Zook, Jesse Zook, and Aaron (Roxi) Zook, seven nieces; Jacqueline (Rusty) Turner, Amy (Jay) Derley, Stacy (Michael) Trout, Holly (Stephen) Milligan, Deanne (Dave) Lock, Carolyn (Jacob) Robison, Kelsey (Jason) Lueger, and 15 great-nieces and nephews.
John’s funeral service will be held at Beckwith Mortuary Chapel, Larned, Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Bill Stapleton presiding. Public live stream via Facebook at www.facebook.com/beckwithmortuary.
There will be a public viewing on Tuesday June 9, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned, with the family present from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Burial will take place at Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Zook, after the service.
