Ed Chester

Defensive lineman

When the national title game was over, Ed Chester had “kind of a numb feeling.” After all, he was a starter as a sophomore for the national champs, but couldn’t finish.

Chester broke his foot during the second half of the Sugar Bowl game against FSU.

“It hurt, but I went back in for one more play,” Chester said. “But after that one play, I knew I was done. So when we won, I wasn’t exactly running around on the field.

“But Reggie McGrew came back to the room that night and told me how much fun it was out on the streets.”

Two years later, Chester suffered a career-ending knee injury against LSU. But he was one of the first players to take out an insurance policy at the urging of defensive line coach Rod Broadway. He collected on the $1 million policy and traveled the world.

“It allowed me to do the things I wanted to do,” he said.

Chester worked for several years for the Boys and Girls Club in Gainesville before eventually settling in St. Petersburg where he is a personal trainer. He lives there with his wife and two daughters.