Chris Gedney funeral arrangements set for this week
Apr 16, 2018Y. -- A memorial service for former Syracuse University football player Chris Gedney will be held Thursday in Syracuse, according to an email distributed to former players.The 1992 unanimous All-American tight end, who played seven seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals before returning to the area to work in the athletic department and serve as a game analyst on the radio, died last week at the age of 47. No cause of death has been announced.The Liverpool High School graduate championed his hometown by spurning scholarship offers from Penn State and Notre Dame, choosing instead to ensure the Orange continued its national renaissance nurtured under Dick MacPherson.That community pride never waned even after a five-year run that saw Syracuse put up a 45-14-2 record with five bowl victories during Gedney's time on campus.He served on the National Down Syndrome Society Board of Directors and the Imagine Syracuse Executive Board of Directors, according to the university. He was also active with the New York State Special Olympics and the Southwest Chapter of Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America."Chris was known for his generous heart and bursting personality," an obituary from the family reads. "He was the ultimate host. One always felt welcome and loved in his presence. Although Chris' career was impressive, his humility surpassed it all. Chris was one of the few that never knew how truly great he actually was."Gedney's NFL career was threatened because of Ulcerative Colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. He had surgery to remove his colon and was briefly cut by the Cardinals before returning to the team and continuing a career in which he finished with 83 catches, 914 yards and eight touchdowns.When his football days were over in Arizona, a reality set in. He missed the water and woods of Central New York. He wanted to raise his children here.Gedney replaced MacPherson as the lead ... (Syracuse.com)
