Former OU tight end and linebacker Steve Zabel has died at 78.
Zabel, a Sooner in 1967-69, played under former head coach Chuck Fairbanks.
He joined OU after spending his freshman season at New Mexico Military Institute and immediately became a starting tight end in Norman. He caught a game-winning 30-yard touchdown in a 14-10 victory against Kansas that helped drive OU to the Big Eight title, an Orange Bowl appearance and a final No. 3 AP ranking in 1967. He played both tight end and defensive end in 1968 and finished with second-team all-American honors, guiding the team to another Big Eight title despite a rough start that year. He followed with earning first-team all-American honors his senior season.
Zabel was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles before he spent 10 years playing professionally (five in Philadelphia, four with the New England Patriots and one with the Baltimore Colts). He started seven of his 14 games as a rookie tight end before switching to linebacker for his next nine seasons. He was named to the Patriots' 1970s all-decade team.
Zabel was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
