Jack Gregory obit

Okolona NFL veteran Gregory dies at age 74

 

 He was not on the list.

Okolona’s Jack Gregory, a second-generation NFL player, died Saturday morning at age 74.

A four-time Pro Bowler at defensive end, Gregory was a ninth-round draft pick in 1966 out of Delta State. He had previously played at Chattanooga.

He played five seasons (1967-71) in Cleveland – where his father had played in 1941 – then joined the New York Giants for seven seasons. He retired after spending the 1979 season back in Cleveland.

In 2012, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer newspaper ranked Gregory No. 70 on a list of the 100 best Browns players. He also played for the New York Giants.

"Listed at 6-foot-5, 250, Gregory had exceptional speed for his position," the newspaper noted. "And, he could overpower opponents. The combination would make him one of the NFL's premier pass rushers for a decade. He also played tough against the run."

He’s unofficially credited with 103 career sacks – most notably one against the Jets’ Joe Namath in ABC’s first “Monday Night Football” game, a 31-21 win by the Browns that was nationally televised on Sept. 21, 1970. His father, Jack Gregory Sr., played with the Cleveland Rams in 1941.

Gregory was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

A celebration of Gregory’s life is scheduled for the Okolona Presbyterian Church on Monday at 1 p.m. Visitation will continue Sunday at the Holland Funeral Directors-Okolona Chapel.