Cincinnati Bengals: Former QB Greg Cook Passes Away at 65

According to Cincinnati.com, former Cincinnati Bearcat and Cincinnati Bengal quarterback Greg Cook passed away last night at the age of 65.

Cook, an Ohio native who had been battling illness, set 15 records at the University of Cincinnati before being drafted by the Bengals fifth overall in the 1969 NFL Draft. He was considered one of the Bengals' all-time brightest prospects coming out of college, but suffered a shoulder injury during his rookie season which hindered the remainder of his career.

As a rookie, Cook was declared the AFL passing champion after throwing for 15 touchdowns and 1854 yards in only 11 games. Even more impressively, he averaged 9.41 yards per passing attempt, an average which is still a Bengals' record to date.

Cook was also named the 1969 AFL rookie of the year by both the Associated Press and United Press International.

Cincinnati President Mike Brown, a close friend of the Cook family, spoke highly of Cook as both a person and as a football player.

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"Greg was the single most talented player we’ve ever had with the Bengals. Had he been able to stay healthy, I believe he would have been the player of his era in the NFL." - Mike Brown, President, Cincinnati Bengals

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