A former college football and NFL player, who played on both sides of the ball, has died at the age of 78.
Steve Zabel, a pioneer of two-way play in college football, passed away earlier this week, the NFLPA Former Players announced on social media. A cause of death is currently unknown.
The Minneapolis native is best known for his college career, which saw him play on both offense and defense under Chuck Fairbanks at Oklahoma.
He primarily played tight end, earning Second-Team All-American honors in 1968, a junior season that saw him become a force on defense as a linebacker, as well.
‘Chuck Fairbanks called me in his office and said, ‘Steve, we’ve proven we can’t outscore people. We want you to play defensive end as well as tight end and see if we can’t win some games,’ Zabel recalled in a 2021 interview with the Eagles.
‘For me, it was a great transition. I played both ways and punted, and we won our last six games in a row and won the Big Eight Championship.’
Steve Zabel, a pioneer of two-way play in college football, died at the age of 78
Zabel, who played both offense and defense, enjoyed a decade-long career in the NFL
The two-way player was drafted with the sixth pick of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
He spent the first five years of his decade-long career in Philadelphia before joining the New England Patriots.
After four years with the Patriots, he enjoyed a brief stint with the Baltimore Colts before bringing the curtain down on his career.
However, his two-way style of play did not have the same impact in the NFL as it had done at Oklahoma.
As a rookie, he made eight starts for Philadelphia, catching one touchdown in 14 games. Coaches did not believe his style of play worked well on offense.
Following his rookie season, the Eagles informed him they did not believe that his temperament suited offense and instead moved him to playing outside linebacker, where he played the remainder of his career.
Zabel was voted into the Patriots’ team of the 70s and was a college hit, making two First-Team All-Big Eight sides.
After retiring, Zabel turned down college coaching offers in favor of high school jobs. He also established numerous charitable programs in Oklahoma City.
Zabel is survived by his wife, three children, several grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
