Ex-MSU star Cooks, No

Johnie Cooks, a linebacker who starred at Mississippi State before going on to a 10-year NFL career, passed away on Thursday. He was 64.

“When you think of Mississippi State Football, you consider legends like Johnie Cooks,” Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett wrote on Twitter. “The Bulldog Household lost an all-time terrific today. On behalf of our program, we extend our condolences to the Cooks family.”

A cause of death was not announced.The Baltimore Colts

made Cooks the No. 2 total selection in the 1982 NFL Draft. He finished sixth in Defensive Novice of the Year voting in the strike-shortened 1982 season and went on to play six-plus seasons for the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts.He hung out with the New york city Giants and Cleveland Browns to

finish his career, using the Giants team that beat the Buffalo Expenses 20-19 to win Super Bowl XXV.Cooks played in 128 profession games, starting 97 of them, and amounted to 32 sacks, 5 fumble recoveries(one for a goal) and 4 interceptions because time.At Mississippi State, Cooks once recorded 24 takes on in a single game versus Auburn. He was named All-SEC three

times and made recognition from 5 All-America teams at the end of the 1981 college season. He remains in the university’s athletics hall of fame.