Former Falcons DE John Zook Dies of Cancer at Age 72

Former Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Cardinals defensive end John Zook died Saturday morning at the age of 72.

Zook's brother, Dean, revealed the news to Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

According to Hummer, Zook stopped cancer treatment at the start of the year and connected with some of his former Falcons teammates during a Zoom conference call on Friday as a way of saying goodbye.

Zook entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1969, but he ended up on the Falcons via a set of trade. He played the first seven seasons of his career in Atlanta, never missing a game before he was eventually traded to the Cardinals, with whom he played his final four seasons.

He is best remembered for his time in Atlanta, where he registered the first safety in franchise history in 1971 and made the Pro Bowl in 1973.  

He also formed an impressive pass-rush combination with Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey.

"The most fun I had the whole time I played football was the time John and I had that ['73] season when we were both selected to the Pro Bowl," Humphrey said, per Hummer. "We had it down pat, man, I tell you. We figured out we were better together than we were individually."

Hummer noted Zook returned to his home state of Kansas following his football career and was close with a family that included three brothers and a number of nieces and nephews.