Beano Cook Gone at 81, But College Football Icon's Wit, Wisdom Will Last Forever

Beano Cook Gone at 81, But College Football Icon’s Wit, Wisdom Will Last Forever

by Benjamin Klein on Thu, Oct 11, 2012 at 9:41PM

College football has lost a legend.

Beano Cook passed away Wednesday night at the age of 81.

ESPN's Ivan Maisel broke the news on Thursday, tweeting that Cook died in his sleep. Cook had been keeping a blog of his thoughts, most recently writing that health issues had hit him at the worst part of the year, the start of college football season.

Cook made many stops — and friends — along his journey. His career began as the sports information director at the University of Pittsburgh during the 1950s and '60s. He also worked in public relations for CBS Sports and Miami Dolphins, as a sportswriter for the St. Petersburg Times, and as ABC Sports NCAA press director, among other jobs.

He joined ESPN in 1985 and became a fixture as a college football analyst. ESPN released a statement on Cook and his contributions to the network over the years.

As news spread of Cook's passing, friends and fans took to social media to show how much the longtime commentator was loved and will be missed. Check out their thoughts and condolences below.

[View the story "Twitter Reacts to the Passing of Beano Cook" on Storify]