| No. 98, 99 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1958-11-23)November 23, 1958 Leland, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | July 6, 2023(2023-07-06) (aged 64) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 243 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Leland (MS) | ||||||||
| College: | Mississippi State (1977-1981) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1982: 1st round,2nd pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Johnie Earl Cooks (November 23, 1958 – July 6, 2023) was an American professionalfootball player who was alinebacker for 10 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). Cooks was selected by theBaltimore Colts as the second overall pick in the1982 NFL draft. He played from 1982 to 1991 for the Colts,New York Giants, andCleveland Browns. He was a member of the Giants when they defeated theBuffalo Bills 20–19 inSuper Bowl XXV. Cooks playedcollege football for theMississippi State Bulldogs.
Johnie Cooks was born on November 23, 1958, inLeland, Mississippi. Cooks was one of nine children and the son of asharecropper.[1] He was given his first opportunity to play football after his mother borrowed five dollars from her land owner to pay for his physical.[2] AtLeland High School, Cooks starred on the football team,basketball team,baseball team, and competed on thetrack and field team.[1]
On the football team, Cooks played both offensive and defensive line. As a senior, he was named to the 1976 All-Delta Conference team and earned a spot on the 1977 Mississippi High School All-Star game. Representing the North team, he was switched to linebacker and led the game in tackling with seven tackles and six assists.[3]
At Mississippi State, Cooks was a four-year letterman in football and graduated with a degree in physical education. As a freshman in 1977, Cooks appeared in all 11 games and recorded one interception. The Bulldogs had started the 1977 season ranked at #18 in theAP poll, but after suffering losses to #13Florida and #16Kentucky, they dropped from the top-25 rankings. Cooks' interception came in the penultimate game of the season, where he picked offLSU quarterback John Crane.[4] Mississippi State finished the 1977 season at 5–6, with a 2–4 record againstSoutheastern Conference (SEC) opponents.[5]
In 1978, Cooks led Mississippi State with 73 tackles, 42 assists and 14 tackles for loss.[6] He was named to theAP All-SEC Second-Team. The Bulldogs went 6–5 on the season, but recorded upsets against #15Florida State and #17 LSU.[7]
Prior to the 1979 season, Cooks was listed on several pre-season All-America watch lists.[8] However, Cooks suffered a knee injury late in the season opener againstMemphis State, which sidelined him for the rest of the 1979 season.[6] Cooks was granted a hardshipredshirt status, meaning the 1979 season did not count toward his college eligibility.[9]
In 1980, Cooks returned from his injury and regained his starting linebacker position. He was named to theAll-SEC First-Team and helped lead the Bulldogs to a 9–3 record and #19 ranking in the final AP poll. That year he turned in game-changing performances in back-to-back weeks. AgainstAuburn, Cooks recorded a career-high 24 tackles as Mississippi State won 24–20. The next week against #1 rankedAlabama, Cooks again had a 20-tackle performance and forced the game-clinching fumble near the goal line to secure the 6–3 upset.[10] Mississippi State earned a spot in the1980 Sun Bowl against #9Nebraska that ended in a 17–31 defeat.[11]
In his 1981 senior season, Cooks remained as a pillar of the Mississippi State defense. He again led the Bulldogs in tackles and added an interception in a 28–7 win against Florida.[12] In a week six 14–10 upset of #13 rankedMiami (FL), Cooks recorded seven tackles, six assisted tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. He was named the AP SEC Lineman of the Week.[13] Cooks was named to the1981 ALL-SEC First-Team and was a1981 All-American. The Bulldogs went 8-4 and facedKansas in the1981 Hall of Fame Classic. Cooks and the Mississippi State defense held Kansas to 35 rushing yards, and won 10–0. Cooks was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the game.[14]
During his college career, Cooks amassed 373 tackles, 241 of those unassisted. He was named to the Mississippi State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991 and was inducted into the Mississippi State Ring of Honor atDavis Wade Stadium in 2011.[15][16]
Cooks was the second overall draft choice, selected in the first round of the1982 NFL draft by theBaltimore Colts.[17] Cooks played his first seven seasons for the Colts before he was released and signed by the New York Giants. After three seasons with the Giants, Cooks finished his career with the Cleveland Browns.
Cooks joined Baltimore on a six-year, $1.6 million contract that included a $200,000 signing bonus.[18] In Cooks'strike-shortened rookie season, he started in eight of the nine games played, registering 63 tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery. Cooks finished sixth in the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, but earned a spot on the1982 PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team along with Colts defensive linemanLeo Wisniewski and punterRohn Stark.[19] Despite Cooks' productive season, the Colts finished winless at 0-8-1 under first-year head coachFrank Kush.[20]
In 1983, Cooks was moved to theoutside linebacker position, the first of many position switches throughout his career. In the season opener, Cooks sealed a 29–23 overtime victory against theNew England Patriots with a 52-yard fumble return for atouchdown. Cooks publicly expressed frustration with Kush throughout the season, which led to speculation that he wanted to be traded.[21] The Colts started the season at 5–4, before losing five of their last seven games and finishing the season at 7–9. However, Cooks still was productive on the field with 67 tackles, five sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery.[17]
Prior to the 1984 season, the Coltsmoved from Baltimore to Indianapolis and Cooks remained with the team. Cooks recorded 11.5 sacks in the team's first season in Indianapolis, which led the Colts. His best game of the season came in week 13, where he recorded a Colts' record 4.5 sacks againstLos Angeles Raiders quarterbackJim Plunkett.[22][23] The Colts went 4–12 on the season, firing head coach Frank Kush before the season finale.
Under new coachRod Dowhower, Cooks and the Colts went 5–11 in the 1985 season. Cooks posted his best professional season with 95 tackles, five sacks, and one interception for the year.[24] His interception came in week one againstKen O'Brien and theNew York Jets. He then recorded one sack each in five separate games throughout the season.
In 1986, the Colts started the season at 0-13 and fired Dowhower with three weeks remaining in the season. After being replaced byRon Meyer, they finished the season with three straight wins and a 3–13 overall record. Cooks had one sack and one interception on the season.[25]
In the final preseason game of the 1987 season, Cooks was injured when he was poked in the eye while making a tackle. He did not suffer permanent damage, but internal bleeding forced him to be sidelined.[26] He missed the first two games of the season before the1987 NFPLA player's strike took effect. Games scheduled for week three were cancelled, and Cooks sat out the three "strike team" games in weeks four through six. Upon returning at the strike's conclusion, Cooks appeared in 10 total games and recorded five sacks and one interception on the season. The Colts made the playoffs for the first time in Cooks' career after winning theAFC East Division. The Colts lost in the first round to theCleveland Browns.[27]
Cooks began the 1988 season with the Colts, but after acquiring linebackerFredd Young in a trade with theSeattle Seahawks, Cooks was waived on September 13, 1988, following the first week of the regular season.[28]
Cooks was claimed off waivers by theNew York Giants on September 14, 1988.[29] Four days after being acquired, Cooks started for the Giants in a victory over theDallas Cowboys. In his first year with the Giants, Cooks appeared in 13 games with four starts. He recorded 14 tackles one sack on the season.[19] The Giants went 10–6 on the season, and finished second in theNFC East Division.[30]
In 1989, Cooks recorded 35 tackles and one sack in 13 starts.[31] The Giants won the NFC East with a 12–4 regular season record. They lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to theLos Angeles Rams.[32]
The 1990 season was Cooks' best as an individual and team. Cooks had 31 tackles and one sack on the season, including a 10-tackle game against theWashington Redskins in week eight.[31] The Giants started the season at 10–0, finishing at 13-3 and repeating as NFC East champions. They defeated theChicago Bears andSan Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl. InSuper Bowl XXV, the Giants beat theBuffalo Bills 20–19.[33]
Cooks was released by the Giants after the 1990 season and the retirement of head coachBill Parcells.
Former Giants defensive coordinatorBill Belichick was named head coach of theCleveland Browns prior to the start of the 1991 season. Belichick advocated for Cooks and signed him as a veteran presence for the 1991 season. Cooks only appeared in two games with the Browns, and lingering injuries caused Cooks to retire after the 1992 season.[34]
Cooks was hired by Mississippi State as an Assistant Athletic Director in 1992, where he served for seven years. He left Mississippi State after the 1999 football season to join the administration of Mississippi GovernorRonnie Musgrove as a legislative liaison. Cooks left the Governor's office in January 2001, and went toAlcorn State University where he was Special Assistant to the athletic director for Fundraising and Marketing.[35]
While still playing in the NFL, Cooks and his family opened Jonie's Mug and Cone inLouisville, Mississippi, named for his daughter.[24]
Cooks lived inStarkville, Mississippi, for many years following his retirement from the NFL.[36] He ran several community programs in Starkville, mentoring youth through the Boys and Girls Club and youth football leagues.[1]
Cooks was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[37]
Cooks died on July 6, 2023, at the age of 64 from complications of a stroke.[1][17]