Former teammates like Bob Trumpy were in awe of Cook’s strength and courage in dealing with his injury both during his career and after it was over. Jan 27, 2012 12:31 PM We have no destiny to keep. It was always falling apart.” “I always liked that you had this big, smelly car that was named Maurice,” Nicole says. A man that’s life was shattered by a horrible injury and he never really got over it. "But the shoulder hadn't started to deteriorate yet, so I could still function. Samuel Cook: Also known as: Dale Cook: Born January 22, 1931 Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. Pats stay ahead of FA market with early signings, Why Winston made smart move returning to Saints, Enter your zip code to find NBCSN near you. Opens send flowers url in a new window. In remembrance Photos: Remembering musician Eddie Van Halen, 1955-2020. Also known as Cook E Greg. Death Notices Deaths for Feb 19 February 19, 2021, 5:45 AM. you can watch some of Greg Cook’s highlights on YouTube. Brown left early and missed Cook furiously leading UC to a comeback win over Miami University, but legend has it that Brown had seen enough of what Cook could do that he drafted him with the fifth overall pick in the 1969 draft. Is it disingenuous for the Bengals to talk about a “tragedy” when it was their doctors who let the kid shred himself? How can a sports news outlet do a story on Greg Cook and not point out that he was the UPI [b][u]American Football League Rookie of the Year[/u][/b] in 1969? Last night I learned of the passing of the greatest quarterback in Bengals’ history. Cook led the two men into the woods on the pretence they were looking for their … He was special. Flash in the pan took longer than his career. Gregory Leigh Bertram. He played through the shoulder pain for much of the remainder of that season, but by the end of the year his shoulder was so badly damaged that he would miss the next three seasons, then return to play just one more game before retiring for good. A sad story. Everybody that knew him loved him but also thought what a shame. From a Steeler fan: Greg Cook was a tremendous talent, and as one poster noted, had he stayed healthy, Pittsburgh would not have won four Super Bowls in the 70’s. 12 was one of the top quarterbacks in school history, setting or holding 17 school records during his career. Anonymous Guest. I recall a classic game, post-injury, in the Astrodome that was one of the greatest 31 point ties (pre-sudden death rules) ever played – Cook was a QB god! Paul Brown, the Hall of Famer who at the time was the Bengals’ head coach and general manager, said, “We believe this young man is the best quarterback prospect in the country.”. Greg A Cook, 65. In a statement, Bengals owner Mike Brown said Greg was the single most talented player weve ever had with the Bengals.. If you have any unfortunate news that this page should be update with, please let us know using this form. Greg was 46 yrs. Cook, a first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969, died Jan. 27, 2012. I felt obligated to finish the season. No. To release and forever discharge COACH GREG INC. of all liability for any personal injury, physical or bodily harm, psychological or emotional injury, death, property damage, or any other loss resulting from your participation in the Activities due to any reason or cause, including but not limited to negligence, legal tort, breach of any statute, breach of any protocols, breach of any duty imposed by law, breach of contract, mistake, or error of judgment by COACH GREG … Tremendous talent RIP……. I'd gotten off to a good start. I still had the strength. Greg was formerly a fork lift driver for Snapper. The obituary … He was 65 years old. Those guys coached some GREAT qb’s, so to say that Cook is the best (talent) they’ve ever coached really does say something. Genres His artwork can also be seen in several offices around the Tri-State. Brown left early and missed Cook furiously leading UC to a comeback win over Miami University, but legend has it that Brown had seen enough of what Cook could do that he drafted him with the fifth overall pick in the 1969 draft. They miss things. Similar situation to Gale Sayers career being cut short by an injury that would have been a blip on the radar in today’s NFL. Discussion in 'Prayer Requests' started by Anonymous, Mar 20, 2005. He could have been something, but because of the lack of MRI’s and other medical procedures that are routine today he played through the pain and ended up ruining any chance he had of a career. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Former Bengals quarterback Greg Cook dies at 65, Report: Cam Newton re-signing with Patriots, Chiefs release Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz, Report: Andy Dalton agrees to one-year, $10 million deal with Bears, NFL Top 100 free agents 2021: Shaq Barrett highest-ranked player not to get tagged, Report: Tom Brady earns $41.075 million in 2021, Patrick Mahomes restructure will free up $17 million of cap room for Chiefs, Jerry Jones: I’ve overpaid for most special things in my life, one of the greatest individual seasons any quarterback has ever had, ranked Cook as the greatest one-shot wonder professional football has ever seen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqHERdwFyZI. Greg was a great man. he was incredibly talented. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. He was an art major at UC, and at the time of his death was working on several paintings for the Bengals offices. He soldiered-on for three more years before retiring. He played at the University of Cincinnati. Longtime Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman called Cook’s rookie year one of the greatest individual seasons any quarterback has ever had, and Bill Walsh, the Bengals’ offensive coach at the time, said years later that Cook could have been the greatest quarterback ever. CINCINNATI — He was the classic "can't miss" kid. Cook gave them a 7-6 lead in first quarter with a 17-yard pass to Eric Crabtree. Though he and team doctors did not know it at the time, simply because the technology didn't exist to properly diagnose it, Cook had suffered a torn rotator cuff. Death of Greg Cook. 65 is pretty damn young. (Photo: Greg Cook) Maurice, Caitlin explains, was “my old car’s name. "Though he and team doctors did not know it at the time, simply because the technology didn't exist to properly diagnose it, Cook had suffered a torn rotator cuff. The latter promise fell victim to fate. “I tore my rotator cuff and we didn’t know it at the time because we didn’t have the medical attention that you have today,” Cook recalled years later. Through his art and a right arm that exploded in professional football for one memorable year, Greg did that. See Results. Drafting Cook in the first round of the draft, Paul Brown said that Cook was the best prospect in the country. The relatively primitive surgical procedure used for such injuries in the 1960s required cutting through muscles, which only damaged Cook’s shoulder further. Cook's true gift was the deep strike. Go look up the name Ray Fosse who career was also ruined by a shoulder injury. As I recall from the story on Cook, that was the medical practice of the time for that type of injury – not sure how the Bengals would have been responsible. Is it disingenuous for the Bengals to talk about a “tragedy” when it was their doctors who let the kid shred himself? I have been a Bengals’ fan for 42 years. He is survived by his fiancée Leslie Coaston, his children Travis Bertram, Sean Bertram, Reid Bertram and Keira Bertram, sister Carole Bleistein, brother in law Steve Bleistein, and nieces Laura Chutich and Vanessa Ryan. Plant Memorial Trees. More Death Notices. At UC, he would blossom into the most prolific college passer of his time and set virtually every Bearcats passing record.In one collegiate game, Cook passed for 554 yards. I saw an interview with Bill Walsh in his later years and they asked him who is the most gifted QB he ever coached and of course I was expecting it to be Montana, but no – it was Greg Cook. He was so talented and so charismatic, but had some demons he never truly got over. Lived In Knoxville TN, Birmingham AL, Clinton TN. His artwork can also be seen in several offices around the Tri-State.He was often employed by area companies as a motivational speaker, and from time to time would appear at sports memorabilia shows. Bulletiner från Vita Huset. Though he attempted to play in the two following seasons, Cook was never the same player after his injury. He was the classic "can't miss" kid.Paul Brown, the late founder and owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, took one look at Greg Cook lighting up the football field for the University of Cincinnati and said Cook would be his team's first round draft pick the following April and the new face of the franchise. Caitlin and Nicole Duennebier, “Rebirth of Maurice,” 2019, mixed media. Origin: Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Died: December 11, 1964 (aged 33) Los Angeles, California, U.S. R.I.P. But a short time later, his life, his career and a franchise would be changed forever. You must be logged in to leave a comment. But for the most part, Cook lived in obscurity after his playing days. Growing up in Chillicothe, Cook was a four-sport star in high school. The Bengals are a division rival but so what tool. At the time, it was an injury that was career-ending, and in essence, it ended Cook's. The Bengals selected Cook with the fifth overall pick in the 1969 NFL draft and instantly fell in love with his arm, proclaiming him the starter and releasing their starting quarterback from the previous year. I’m way too young to remember him but my dad always tells me how good he was. He was often employed by area companies as a motivational speaker, and from time to time would appear at sports memorabilia shows. The cause of death is unknown at this time. He had a smile on his face and a heart full of love after spending the week before enjoying Christmas with his family. He was sooooooooo good. Sydney Morning Herald notices and Death Notices for Sydney New South Wales area . Greg was born on Wednesday, July 25, 1962 in Évreux, France to Jackie Lee Cook and the late Johnnie Dykes Cook. Greg Cook, a Bengals quarterback whose immense talent was never fully realized because of a shoulder injury suffered in … BATON ROUGE -- Former LSU men's basketball center, Greg "Cookieman" Cook, passed away in Houston, Texas, Saturday afternoon in his sleep at the age of 46. ©2021, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WLWT-TV. I'd gotten off to a good start. 1 One-Hit Wonder in NFL history. Straight outta Chillicothe, Cook starred on Homer Rice’s pass-first Bearcats teams of the late 1960s. During the 1969 season Paul Brown called Cook the next Otto Graham. If Cook doesn’t hurt his shoulder, the Steelers don’t win 4 Super Bowls in the ’70’s. I see it’s the same Bengal haters…even with such sadness they can’t zip it. He has written regularly for Good Food, Now and Olive magazines. When asked about his career, he was never bitter, and he refused to feel sorry for himself. ... said before his own death … He served in the Georgia National Guard. Hearing Bill Walsh and Sam Wyche’s opinions of him says it all though. Greg Cook, a Bengals quarterback whose immense talent was never fully realized because of a shoulder injury suffered in his third professional game, has died at the age of 65 after being hospitalized with pneumonia. 1 One-Hit Wonder in NFL history.After football, Cook resumed his painting career. Cook died on January 27, 2012, shortly after being admitted to The Christ Hospital, a Cincinnati-area hospital, with pneumonia. But Greg Cook was special. dikshuttle says: Greg Cook, a man whose life was the epitome of humility, resilience, and grace. I didn't want to relinquish that. My uncle saw Greg Cook play that season in person and has been saying for years that he was the single greatest talent ever to play the position.