Symank won pair of crowns with Packers
ESPN.com news services
DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. -- Former Green Bay Packers defensive back John Symank, a member of two NFL championship teams, died from cancer. He was 66.
Symank, who died Wednesday, played for the Packers from 1957 to 1962, finishing his Packers career as part of Vince Lombardi's first two NFL championship teams. He played one more season in the NFL, with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963.
Symank had lived at Dauphin Island since his retirement in 1997 from LSU, where he had been an assistant athletic director and assistant coach.
Carla Symank, his daugher-in-law, said Thursday that Symank was diagnosed with cancer in July during a checkup for prior heart surgery.
Symank, a 23rd-round draft choice out of Florida in 1957, had 19 interceptions with the Packers, including nine in his rookie season, and seven fumble recoveries, including four in 1959. He averaged 25.5 yards on 22 kickoff returns with the Packers.
Symank joined the LSU staff in December 1984. After his pro career ended, Symank had turned to college coaching, with assistant stints at Tulane, Virginia, and head coach at Texas-Arlington.
He also had worked on the coaching staffs for the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts. |
