Chester McGlockton, a former defensive tackle in the NFL and native of Whiteville, NC, has died in California at the age of 42.

It seems like yesterday that I was casting a ballot for him as an all-state high school tight end. He was a man among boys in high school. McGlockton led his Whiteville team to a 15-0 record and a state championship. He made an immediate impact in college as he scored a touchdown as a freshman in a bowl game for Clemson.

In the pros, he made the All-Pro team four times as a defensive end with the Raiders, weighing in at well over 300 pounds.

He was a bit of a brute from high school through his pro days. In fact, he admitted to being a jerk sometimes. But he had turned his life around since playing his last game in 2003. First, he had surgery to lose 80 pounds. Then, he started taking Bible study classes. He liked teaching life principles to young players. Along with his wife Zina, he loved raising his two daughters.

Then all of a sudden today, he died. An autopsy is being performed to try to determine why.