Keli Scott McGregor (January 23, 1963[1] – April 20, 2010) was an American professional football player and baseball executive. McGregor played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. He was president of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB).[2]
| No. 83, 89 | |
| Born: | January 23, 1963 Primghar, Iowa, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died: | April 20, 2010 (aged 47) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Tight end |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) |
| Weight | 250 lb (110 kg) |
| College | Colorado State University |
| NFL draft | 1985, Round: 4 / Pick 110 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1985 | Denver Broncos |
| 1985 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
School sport edit
McGregor was a multi-sport athlete at Lakewood High School in Colorado before starring with the Colorado State Rams football team as a tight end. McGregor was a four-year starter at Colorado State University. Considered to be an undersized halfback when he arrived on campus, McGregor went from freshman walk-on to second-team all-American tight end in 1984. He grew to 6 ft 8 in and 250 lb, and went on to become an all-Western Athletic Conference tight end from 1982 to 1984. He set a single-season school record with 69 catches in 1983, a mark that stood for ten years. He was voted to Colorado State's all-century team in 1992 and was named to the CSU Hall of Fame in 1996.
Professional career edit
McGregor was selected by Denver in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. He played for the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts during the 1985 NFL season.[3]
Coaching and management edit
Following his retirement from football, McGregor then embarked on a career in sports administration. While he earned a master's degree in education with an emphasis on athletic administration, McGregor served as an administrative assistant and football coach for two years at the University of Florida (1988-89). After his time at Florida, McGregor went to the University of Arkansas for four years (1989-93), elevating to the position of associate athletic director in 1992.
He joined Colorado Rockies in October 1993 as senior director of operations. He was promoted to senior vice-president in 1996 and executive vice-president in 1998. He was named president of the team in 2001.[1]
Death edit
On April 20, 2010, McGregor was found dead at the age of 47 in a Salt Lake City hotel room while on a business trip. He was in his seventeenth season with the Rockies, his ninth as club president. Initial indications were that he died of natural causes. Other major figures in the game paid tribute to him as the news of his death became public.[4] On August 30, 2010, it was announced that McGregor died of a rare virus that infected his heart muscle, causing lymphocytic myocarditis.[5]
McGregor is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.[6][7]
During one of the final home games of the 2010 season, the Rockies honored McGregor by placing his initials amongst the retired numbers at Coors Field.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b NFL.com
- ^ Stapleton, Arnie (April 21, 2010). "Police: Rockies president dies in hotel room". Yahoo. Associated Press. Retrieved April 21, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ Lasting Tribute to Keli McGregor Archived April 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Keli McGregor, late Rockies president, died of rare virus that attacked his heart, family says
- ^ "The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)". Concussion Legacy Foundation. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller (June 20, 2023). "Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ Harding, Thomas (September 28, 2010). "Rox unveil McGregor memorial at Coors Field". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.