Stanford assistant McGlockton, 42, dies
Chester McGlockton, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman who emerged as a talented assistant coach and mentor at Stanford, died Wednesday. He was 42.
McGlockton also spent time helping the San Francisco 49ers and former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh – his former racquetball partner – during training camp this summer as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship.
Harbaugh expressed sadness and shock upon hearing of McGlockton’s death.
“Chester’s been a very close and dear friend over the last four years,” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “It was a shock. Just sad, sad today with the news of his passing. Chester was a great guy, good man, doing the right things.”
No cause of death was immediately announced.
“Everyone in the Stanford Football family is deeply saddened by the passing of Chester McGlockton,” Stanford coach David Shaw said in a statement. “… Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chester’s wife Zina and their two children.”
A native of Whiteville, N.C., McGlockton starred at Clemson before being selected 16th overall by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1992. He played 12 seasons in the NFL with the Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and New York Jets.
Big Chet, as he was known by many, was around 335 pounds during his career. But he had lost weight in recent years after undergoing laparoscopic weight-loss surgery and improving his workout and eating habits.
PSU MOVING FAST
Penn State could have a replacement for fired football coach Joe Paterno by the end of the year.
School president Rod Erickson said the school hopes to have a new coach in place by the Nittany Lions’ bowl game. No. 23 Penn State (9-3) should learn its postseason destination by this weekend.
Paterno was fired Nov. 9 after 46 seasons in the aftermath of child sex-abuse charges against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bradley is the interim head coach.
RIVALRY SECURE
As the college football landscape shifts, two schools at the bedrock of the sport’s foundation remain rigid about their continued alliance.
Army and Navy, which will play for the 112th time a week from Saturday in Landover, Md., think that their annual game will survive even if the Midshipmen move into the Big East Conference. Unlike other rivalries that have recently ended, including Texas-Texas A&M and Kansas-Missouri, Army-Navy will continue.
At least that’s the plan of Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk.
Gladchuk said his discussions with Big East officials included making sure the league knew that he had no plans of dropping the Black Knights from the schedule.
CAMP FINALISTS
Quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Stanford, Robert Griffin III of Baylor and Case Keenum of Houston are among five finalists for the Walter Camp Foundation player of the year.
The others are Alabama running back Trent Richardson and LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.
The winner will be announced Dec. 8.
GRIFFIN PRACTICING
Baylor’s Griffin has practiced this week with no lingering effects from the concussion-like symptoms that knocked the Heisman Trophy hopeful out of the 19th-ranked Bears’ last game.
“I was able out to get back out there and let myself know I was OK,” Griffin said.
The Bears (8-3 overall, 5-3 Big 12), who have won four games in a row, play their regular-season finale at home Saturday against Texas (7-4, 4-4).
KENTUCKY FINED
The Southeastern Conference said it will fine Kentucky $50,000 after fans rushed the field at Commonwealth Stadium following the Wildcats’ 10-7 victory over Tennessee on Saturday. Kentucky beat Tennessee for the first time in 26 years to cap a 5-7 season.
The fine is part of the SEC’s seven-year policy that limits access to “competition areas.” The penalties include $5,000 for a first offense and up to $50,000 for third and subsequent offenses.
The SEC says Kentucky has violated the policy after football games in 2006, 2007 and 2010.
This story was originally published December 1, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Stanford assistant McGlockton, 42, dies."