Keli McGregor

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.{{cite news|first=Joel S.|last=Buchsbaum|title=Young, not Rozier deserves trophy|date=November 29, 1983|newspaper=The Pensacola Journal|page=3B|agency=Gannett News Service|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72113382/|access-date=February 26, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Open access}}{{cite news|title=Honor Teams|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|date=December 5, 1984|page=62|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5289262/upi_and_ap_allamerica_teams/}}{{cite news|title=USC's Seawright named to NEA All-America team|author=Murray Olderman|newspaper=The Index-Journal, Greenwood, SC|date=November 20, 1984|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5293618/uscs_seawright_named_to_nea/}} 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.

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.{{Cite web |title=1985 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1985/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

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.

File:Rockies-Retired-KSM.png

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.{{Cite web |title=Tribute to Keli McGregor |url=http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/mcgregor/3304165 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100427181904/http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/mcgregor/3304165 |archive-date=2010-04-27 |website=Lasting Tribute}} On August 30, 2010, it was announced that McGregor died of a rare virus that infected his heart muscle, causing lymphocytic myocarditis.{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Michael |date=August 31, 2010 |title=Keli McGregor, late Rockies president, died of rare virus that attacked his heart, family says |url=https://www.westword.com/news/keli-mcgregor-late-rockies-president-died-of-rare-virus-that-attacked-his-heart-family-says-5869497 |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Westword |language=en}}

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.{{cite news |title=The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) |website=Concussion Legacy Foundation |url=https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts |access-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702123543/https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |author=Belson |first=Ken |last2=Mueller |first2=Benjamin |date=June 20, 2023 |title=Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/football/cte-study-concussions-brain-tackle.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230620091126/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/football/cte-study-concussions-brain-tackle.html |archive-date=2023-06-20 |access-date=2024-09-19 |work=The New York Times}}

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.{{cite web|last=Harding|first=Thomas|title=Rox unveil McGregor memorial at Coors Field|url=http://m.rockies.mlb.com/news/article/15183144|work=MLB.com|date=September 28, 2010|access-date=June 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813170055/http://m.rockies.mlb.com/news/article/15183144|archive-date=August 13, 2016|url-status=dead}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McGrKe20.htm Pro-Football-Reference]
• {{Cite web |title=Online Memorial Page |url=http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/mcgregor/3304165 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100427181904/http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/mcgregor/3304165 |archive-date=2010-04-27 |website=}}

{{Broncos1985DraftPicks}}

{{Colorado Rockies Presidents}}

{{Colorado Rockies retired numbers}}

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Category:1963 births

Category:2010 deaths

Category:American football tight ends

Category:People from O'Brien County, Iowa

Category:Players of American football from Iowa

Category:Sportspeople from Lakewood, Colorado

Category:Players of American football from Colorado

Category:Colorado State Rams football players

Category:Denver Broncos players

Category:Indianapolis Colts players

Category:Colorado Rockies executives

Category:Major League Baseball team presidents

Category:Deaths from myocarditis