Steve Zabel, a pioneer or two-way play in college football, is dead at the age of 78. No cause of death was given for his Wednesday passing. Zabel, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, played tight end at Oklahoma for three years under Chuck Fairbanks, Second-Team All-American honors in 1968, a junior season that saw him become a force on defense, as well. “Chuck Fairbanks called me in his office and said, ‘Steve, we’ve proven we can’t outscore people.
In Memoriam
Steve Zabel
1948 – 2026 (aged 78)
American football player (1948–2026)