DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Jack Gregory DE. Browns/Giants.

The reason I'm a Browns fan in the Deepsouth of Mississippi.
A great friend lost but not forgotten.

https://www.giants.com/news/remembering-jack-gregory-pro-bowler-and-all-nfl-defensive-end

Newsletter
Media Guide
Monday, Mar 04, 2019 12:55 AM

Remembering Jack Gregory, Pro Bowler and All-NFL Defensive End
Eisen2018
Michael Eisen
GIANTS.COM SENIOR WRITER/EDITOR

JackGregory
Photo: Jim Turner/New York Football Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Jack Gregory, a standout defensive end for the Giants for seven seasons in the 1970s, passed away Saturday in Monroe Country, Mississippi. He was 74.

Gregory played in 96 games for the Giants from 1972-78. He was credited with 75.5 sacks with the team, though sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982. In his first season with the Giants, Gregory led the NFL with 21.0 sacks, was selected to the Pro Bowl, and was named All-NFL by United Press International and the Pro Football Writers. He had 15 sacks in 1975.

Gregory’s father, Earl Jackson “Jack” Gregory, played seven games for the Cleveland Browns in 1941.

A Mississippi native, Gregory graduated in 1962 from Okolona High School, where he was an all-conference athlete in football, track and basketball.

Gregory, who was known as “Big Jack,” played his first three seasons of collegiate football at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he was an honorable mention All-America tight end. Although drafted his junior year, he transferred to Delta State University where he graduated and set a school record with 557 receiving yards as a tight end and also played defensive end.


Gregory played four seasons for the Browns before the Giants sent their 1973 first-round draft choice to Cleveland to obtain Gregory. After his Giants tenure, Gregory played a final season with the Browns.

He is 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 Browns win on Sept. 21, 1970.

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

After retirement, Gregory returned to Mississippi, where he was a farmer, businessman, philanthropist and Chief Executive Officer of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors.

Gregory is survived by his wife, Susan Brooks Gregory of Okolona, whom he married Aug. 7, 2000; his son E. J. Gregory, III and his wife Charla of Oxford; a daughter, Madison Brook Gregory of Canton; two stepchildren, Michael Carter (Brandy) of Wren and Amanda Hicklin (Eric). His grandchildren: Riley, Sydni, Thomas, Lucas and Ayden. His only brother, Judge John Andrew Gregory (Claire) of Okolona, and his family, and thousands of friends across Mississippi and around the country. He was preceded in death by his parents and first wife, Gwen Massey Gregory.

Oh man....sorry to hear this. Jack was a great player for the Browns and never understood why we traded him to the Giants.


Later in life I moved to Chattanooga and have become a Moc's booster, just because I live here and support local sports. It's when I did this I realized or remembered Gregory played for UTC. At the time it wasn't UT Chattanooga. It was U of Chattanooga.

RIP Jack...this saddens me.

I was a freshman at Baldwin Wallace in Berea when the Browns started practicing out there at Finnie Stadium on Bagley Rd. One day I was stopped at a red light near the stadium and I saw Jack Gregory, Jerry Sherk, Walter Johnson, and Joe (Turkey) Jones walking across Bagley to the showers at Ursprung Gym after practice. That was a helluva defensive line right there.

Thank you Peen.
Yes he created football in what I understood it to be at a early age.
He will be missed.
From what I understand he was the first FA in pro football. I can't confirm that but that is what is being said to be true.

They had some of the better teams in the late 60's to early 70's. The D was a monster !!!

Loved watching Jack Gregory play for the Browns ...

Yes sir. What little I got to see back in the day made me the Browns fan I am today.

I was a big fan of Jack Gregory back in the day. Like Dave, I say that was one helluva d-line.

I think it's kinda cool you have a personal connection to him. Sad news for his family, his friends, the state of Mississippi, and Browns and Giants' fans.

Thanks Vers.
My father and Jack we're good friends all the way back to High school. I always loved going to his house and farm back in the day. He was bigger than life.

Very cool!