Keli McGregor
Encyclopedia
Keli McGregor was a professional football
player in the NFL
and was president of the Colorado Rockies
from 2001 until his death.
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 6 in and 250 lb, and went on to become an all-Western Athletic Conference tight end from 1982-1984. 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.
and the Indianapolis Colts
during the 1985 NFL season
.
for four years, and then assistant football coach for two years at the University of Florida
from 1988-89, where he earned a Master's degree in education with an emphasis on athletic administration.
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.
On August 30, 2010 it was announced that McGregor died of a rare virus that infected his heart muscle. The infection caused lymphatic myocarditis, killing an otherwise healthy McGregor. "In an unusual manifestation of a viral illness, this organism infiltrated his heart muscle and disrupted the electrical pathways that signal the heart to beat properly," a statement from his family said. "The heart muscle may have recovered from the viral attack had these electrical pathways not been destroyed, but the muscle may have been permanently weakened and destined for eventual heart failure." It continued, "Just as a healthy brain can be infected with viral meningitis, a healthy heart can be infected with viral myocarditis," the McGregor family stated. "Fortunately, the vast majority of viral illnesses do not damage the heart or the brain."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and was president of the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
from 2001 until his death.
School sport
McGregor was a multi-sport athlete at Lakewood High SchoolLakewood High School (Colorado)
Lakewood High School is a public secondary school located in Lakewood, Colorado and is part of the Jefferson County School District. Lakewood was ranked as the 111th best school in the nation by Newsweek in 2006 and more recently as the 108th best school in 2008, which makes it the highest ranked...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
before starring with the Colorado State Rams football
Colorado State Rams football
The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild...
team as a tight end. McGregor was a four-year starter at Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
. 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 6 in and 250 lb, and went on to become an all-Western Athletic Conference tight end from 1982-1984. 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
McGregor was selected by Denver in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL draft and played for the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
during the 1985 NFL season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
.
Coaching and management
Following his retirement from football, McGregor then embarked on a career in sports administration. He was as an associate athletic director at the University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
for four years, and then assistant football coach for two years at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
from 1988-89, where he earned a Master's degree in education with an emphasis on athletic administration.
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.
Death
On April 20, 2010, he 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.On August 30, 2010 it was announced that McGregor died of a rare virus that infected his heart muscle. The infection caused lymphatic myocarditis, killing an otherwise healthy McGregor. "In an unusual manifestation of a viral illness, this organism infiltrated his heart muscle and disrupted the electrical pathways that signal the heart to beat properly," a statement from his family said. "The heart muscle may have recovered from the viral attack had these electrical pathways not been destroyed, but the muscle may have been permanently weakened and destined for eventual heart failure." It continued, "Just as a healthy brain can be infected with viral meningitis, a healthy heart can be infected with viral myocarditis," the McGregor family stated. "Fortunately, the vast majority of viral illnesses do not damage the heart or the brain."