Steve Zabel, a two-way player who starred at Oklahoma and played 10 seasons in the NFL, died on Tuesday. He was 78.
No cause of death was given.
Zabel was Oklahoma’s last two-way player, excelling at tight end and linebacker, NBC Sports reported. He also punted for the Sooners.
From 1967 to 1969, Zabel played 30 games, catching 63 passes for 773 yards and eight touchdowns, according to Sports-Reference.com.
He was an All-American in 1969 and a two-time Big 8 champion, KOCO reported.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder was the first-round pick (and No. 6 overall) of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970 NFL draft.
RIP Steve Zabel 🕯️
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) June 25, 2026
A tight end and defensive end at #Oklahoma — a Second-Team All-American and the school's final two-way player, Steve was drafted sixth overall by the #Eagles in 1970.
Zabel began his 10-year NFL career as a tight end, and developed into a quality outside… pic.twitter.com/mHBBD4rTvs
Zabel spent five seasons with the Eagles (1970-74) and then played four years with the New England Patriots (1975-78). He played for the Baltimore Colts in 1979.
During his pro career, Zabel mostly played at linebacker, although he also split his time at tight end during his first two seasons. He would intercept six passes and recover 13 fumbles.
On offense, Zabel caught 10 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
“As a rookie tight end, I’d gotten kicked out of three games for fighting. And at the end of the year, they told me they didn’t think I had the proper temperament to be successful on offense and wanted to move me to outside linebacker,” Zabel recalled, according to NBC Sports. “I jumped at the opportunity. My rookie year, I came into camp weighing almost 270 pounds. They told me they wanted me to get big to be a blocking tight end, and it really hampered my speed and agility. My second year, I came to training camp as an outside linebacker weighing 230 pounds. I gained all my quickness and speed back.
“It was a wonderful thing. I was all for playing linebacker, believe me.”
Former #Sooners All-American Steve Zabel has died at age 78. This was Zabel's signature moment at OU, a 30-yard touchdown catch from Bobby Warmack to lead Oklahoma over Kansas in 1967 and clinch their first Big Eight title in five years. Bob Barry and Jack Ogle on the call pic.twitter.com/lDv6N9PHDm
— Brian Brinkley (@BrianBrinkleyOK) June 25, 2026
After college, Zabel turned down coaching offers at major programs, preferring jobs at the high school and small-college level, NBC Sports reported. He later founded a nonprofit organization that provides food for homeless people and mentoring for children in Oklahoma City.
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