All-SEC Mississippi State linebacker, Super Bowl champ Cooks dead at 64

STARKVILLE, Mississippi (AP) — Three-time all-Southeastern Conference linebacker and longtime NFL player Johnie Cooks died Thursday. He was 64. Cooks starred at Mississippi State from 1977-81. The school announced his death. There was no cause given. Cooks led the team in tackles in 1978 and 1981 and had a career best 24 tackles against Auburn in a game during his junior season. Cooks was a second round draft pick for Baltimore in 1982. He played six seasons with the Colts before joining the New York Giants and was part of their Super Bowl season of 1990.