Back in November Raider Nation awoke to the sad news of the passing of Chester McGlockton. The former Raider was as freakish and talented a defensive lineman as you’ll ever see and his death came just as he was embarking on a promising coaching career.

Yesterday news spread of the cause of his death. Elliott Almond of the Mercury News group reports that an autopsy revealed an enlarged heart likely brought on by high blood pressure and heart valve issues. A sad reminder of just how fragile life can be.

Many NFL players face health issues after their careers are over. Without speculating on McGlockton’s lifestyle, often you hear of men developing health issues once they’re no longer engaging in daily workouts that they might have gone through as a pro.

But whether or not the issue was preventable in any way is a lost point. All that matters is a family is without one of its beloved members and Raider Nation has lost yet another great warrior.

Our thoughts remain with his family and closest friends.

“Everyone in the Stanford football family is deeply saddened by the passing of Chester McGlockton. For the past two seasons, Chester has been a valuable member of our football staff and a wonderful friend to us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chester’s wife, Zina, and their two children.”

McGlockton was originally selected by the then L.A. Raiders in the first round of the 1992 NFL draft. The former Clemson Tiger was a freakish athlete that was named to the NFL All-Pro team four times in his 12 year career. During a dominant four year stretch McGlockton was a fixture in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

It is being reported that McGlockton’s passing was due to a heart attack suffered overnight.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.