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Keli McGregor

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Keli McGregor
No. 83, 89
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born:(1963-01-23)January 23, 1963
Primghar, Iowa, U.S.
Died:April 20, 2010(2010-04-20) (aged 47)
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:Lakewood (Colorado)
College:Colorado St.
NFL draft:1985 / round: 4 / pick: 110
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference

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]

Early life and college

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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 a two-time All-American.[3][4][5] 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

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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.[6]

Coaching and management

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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

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McGregor's initials were placed among the Rockies' retired numbers in 2010.

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.[7] On August 30, 2010, it was announced that McGregor died of a rare virus that infected his heart muscle, causing lymphocytic myocarditis.[8]

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.[9][10]

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.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Keli McGregor Stats, News and Video - TE". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  2. ^ "Rockies president McGregor dies at 48". Associated Press. April 20, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  3. ^ Buchsbaum, Joel S. (November 29, 1983). "Young, not Rozier deserves trophy". The Pensacola Journal. Gannett News Service. p. 3B. Retrieved February 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ "Honor Teams". The Indianapolis Star. December 5, 1984. p. 62.
  5. ^ Murray Olderman (November 20, 1984). "USC's Seawright named to NEA All-America team". The Index-Journal, Greenwood, SC. p. 11.
  6. ^ "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  7. ^ "Tribute to Keli McGregor". Lasting Tribute. Archived from the original on April 27, 2010.
  8. ^ Roberts, Michael (August 31, 2010). "Keli McGregor, late Rockies president, died of rare virus that attacked his heart, family says". Westword. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  9. ^ "The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)". Concussion Legacy Foundation. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Belson, Ken; Mueller, Benjamin (June 20, 2023). "Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E.". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  11. ^ 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.
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