Fred McNeill, 63, dies
Fred McNeill, the former Minnesota linebacker who helped the Vikings reach two Super Bowls in his 12-year NFL career, has died. He was 63. Wife Tia McNeill said he died Tuesday in Southern California of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He also suffered from dementia. Drafted 17th overall in 1974, the former UCLA star played in Minnesota’s Super Bowl losses in 1975 and 1977. In 167 regular-season games, he had 1,068 tackles, 13 sacks, seven interceptions and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. He appeared in 13 playoff games, and blocked a punt in the 1977 Super Bowl. McNeill attended William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul at the end of his playing career and became a lawyer after retiring from the NFL. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
A Kansas high school football player who collapsed on the sideline during a state playoff game in Sharon Springs, Kan., has died after being taken off life support. Luke Schemm had just scored the extra point after a touchdown Tuesday when the 17-year-old ran to the sidelines and collapsed. He was flown to Swedish Medical Center in the Denver suburb of Englewood, where he was declared brain dead. Hospital spokesman Nicole Williams told The Associated Press that Schemm was kept on life support so family and friends could pay their respects. Schemm died after support was removed Wednesday afternoon. Brian McVay, superintendent and principal of Wallace County schools, said he didn’t know why Schemm collapsed during the Eight-Man Division II game at Wallace County High School.
Atlanta, New Orleans and Santa Clara, Calif., were selected to host College Football Playoff national championship games from a group of nine cities and regions that were vying for the event. The Atlanta Falcons’ new stadium, which will open in 2017, will be the site of the championship game scheduled for Jan. 8, 2018. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, will host the January 2019 title game. The New Orleans Superdome will be the site of the January 2020 championship game. The playoff management committee, comprised of the FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director, also considered bids from South Florida (Sun Life Stadium), Houston (NRG Stadium), Minneapolis (U.S. Bank Stadium), Detroit (Ford Field), Charlotte, North Carolina (Bank of American Stadium) and San Antonio, Texas (Alamodome). Bidding communities were guaranteeing between $13 million and $18 million to the College Football Playoff. This season’s championship game will be held Jan. 11 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which is also the site of the Fiesta Bowl.