Steve Zabel, a former professional football player known for his ability to play several different positions, has passed away at the age of 78.

Steve Zabel 是一位前職業美式足球員，以能勝任多個不同位置而聞名，他在 78 歲時逝世。

Zabel began his athletic career at the University of Oklahoma, where he played as a tight end, linebacker, and punter. This versatility helped the university win two Big Eight championships. After college, Zabel was selected sixth overall in the 1970 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Although he started as a tight end, the coaches moved him to outside linebacker because of his aggressive style and frequent fights on the field. To improve his performance, Zabel lost weight, dropping from 270 to 230 pounds, which he emphasized restored his speed and agility.

Zabel 在俄克拉荷馬大學開始他的運動生涯，當時他擔任緊端鋒、線邊衛及安打者。這種多才多藝幫助該大學贏得了兩次 Big Eight 冠軍。大學畢業後，Zabel 在 1970 年 NFL 選秀中被費城老鷹隊在第六順位選中。雖然他起初擔任緊端鋒，但由於他的球風激進且經常在場上發生衝突，教練將他調任為外線邊衛。為了提升表現，Zabel 減重，從 270 磅降至 230 磅，他強調這恢復了他的速度與靈活性。

Later in his career, Zabel faced some professional challenges and became a leader for player rights. After a disagreement over his contract with head coach Mike McCormack, Zabel moved to the New England Patriots in 1975. He performed very well there, recording a high of 88 tackles in one season and eventually earning a spot on the Patriots' all-decade team for the 1970s. Furthermore, Zabel fought for better pensions, insurance, and medical benefits for players. This activism led to a player strike that cancelled a preseason game in 1975, although Zabel later asserted that the final agreement between the league and the union was not good enough for the athletes.

在職業生涯後期，Zabel 面臨了一些專業挑戰，並成為球員權益的領袖。在與總教練 Mike McCormack 就合約產生分歧後，Zabel 於 1975 年轉會至新英格蘭愛國者隊。他在那裡表現優異，單季最高錄得 88 次擒抱，並最終入選愛國者隊 1970 年代的十年最佳陣容。此外，Zabel 為球員爭取更好的退休金、保險與醫療福利。這種積極行動導致了一次球員罷工，造成 1975 年的一場季前賽被取消，儘管 Zabel 後來主張聯盟與工會之間的最終協議對運動員而言並不夠理想。

Zabel retired in 1979 after a final season with the Baltimore Colts. His decision to leave the game was influenced by a serious injury suffered by his teammate, Darryl Stingly. After retiring, Zabel focused on local coaching and charity work. Specifically, he co-founded a nonprofit organization in Oklahoma City to provide food for homeless people and mentorship for young people. In 2015, his contributions to sports were officially recognized when he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

Zabel 在巴爾的摩小馬隊完成最後一個賽季後，於 1979 年退休。他決定離開賽場是受到隊友 Darryl Stingly 受重傷的影響。退休後，Zabel 專注於本地教練工作與慈善事業。具體而言，他在俄克拉荷馬市共同創立了一個非營利組織，為無家可歸者提供食物並為年輕人提供指導。2015 年，他的體育貢獻獲得正式認可，被 inducted 入俄克拉荷馬體育名人堂。

Steve Zabel is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Steve Zabel 逝世後，留下了他的妻子、子女、孫子女及曾孫。