Ron Ray Jessie (February 4, 1948 – January 13, 2006) was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the University of Kansas.
Jay Roberts (October 20, 1942 – October 6, 2010) was a Canadian football player who played for the Ottawa Rough Riders. He won the Grey Cup in 1968 and 1969. He previously played college football at the University of Kansas. He was one of the last three sport lettermen at the University of Kansas where he played football, basketball and did the high jump in track. Roberts' brightest moment in a two-year hoops career at KU came when the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder's 12-foot jumper with three seconds left gave KU a 90–88, four-overtime victory over rival Kansas State in the finals of the 1962 Big Eight Holiday Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. In 2010, Roberts died of small cell lung cancer at the age of 67. He donated his brain and spinal cord to medical research and was the first CFL player ever to do so. Later research showed that Roberts' brain showed a presence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease linked to repeated sustenance to concussions. His son, Jed Roberts, also played in the CFL, for the Edmonton Eskimos.
John Eldon Zook (September 24, 1947 – June 6, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons. Zook played college football for the University of Kansas.
Zook was born in Garden City, Kansas, and grew up in Zook and Larned. He was a three-year letterman, was picked twice for all-conference honors, anchoring one of the top defensive units ever taking the field at KU. He was an honorable mention All-American in 1967 and was a consensus All-America honors as the Jayhawks' defensive standout on the 1968 Orange Bowl-bound team, the year KU was named No. 6 by the Associated Press. Zook had 202 total tackles during his career, putting him at No. 4 on KU's all-time defensive line list. KU Coach Pepper Rodgers said Zook "never played but full speed from snap one to snap hundred. He was the most full-speed player on every snap that you could imagine." He was also chosen in the KU All-Time team by the Lawrence Journal-World.Zook was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 4th round (99th overall) of the 1969 NFL Draft. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles and then by the Eagles to the Atlanta Falcons, where began his NFL career in 1969. Zook played 144 games in the NFL and was a Second-team All-Pro selection in 1973. He had been a Second-team All-NFC selection in 1972 and 1973 and was voted to the 1973 Pro Bowl. Zook was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976 and finished his career there.Zook recorded the first ever safety for the Falcons franchise.
Zook died on June 6, 2020, in Kansas.