Team collection for George Clinkscale Family

Tulsa Golden Hurricane teammates of former TU football player George Clinkscale will be collecting monetary donations at the gates of the Tulsa-North Texas football game on Saturday to benefit the family of Clinkscale, who died on September 21st at the age of 24.  Donation drops will be set-up outside Gates 1, 2, 6 and 7.  The wives of TU coaches will be collecting the money as a number of Clinkscale’s teammates will be attending a Memorial Service for their teammate in Dallas, Texas on Saturday.
 
Clinkscale leaves behind his fiancée, Courtney (Coco) Thompson, two-year old daughter Ana’hla.  His second baby girl is due this month.

Clinkscale was a football student-athlete and four-year lettermen at Tulsa from 2005-09.  He played in 53 career games and started 33 contests, while collecting 127 tackles, 18 stops for -92 yards and four fumble recoveries in his career. Clinkscale earned a degree in Exercise Sports Science in 2009. 

George Clinkscale died last week after taking part in an unsanctioned boxing match.  Joe Miller, director of the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission (OSAC), told ESPN that Clinkscale took part in the bout late Wednesday at a Tulsa-area church. Miller says witnesses described Clinkscale becoming ill during the fight and he was taken to a local hospital, where he died. Clinkscale was billed as the main event at Fight Night VI sponsored by GUTS Church.  Miller says the results of the OSAC's investigation will be turned over to the state attorney general's office because the event was not sanctioned.

"It's an illegal event, it's not sanctioned by the commission," Miller said. "They're running outside the law."  Miller said if the event had been sanctioned, there would have several experts on hand, such as qualified referees, medics and doctors.
"I really hope this opens up some eyes," Miller said.

Coaches remembered Clinkscale for his achievements on and off the field.

"George was much too young to be taken from us. He was an extremely passionate and bright young man who will be greatly missed and long remembered by his teammates and coaches," Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship told ESPN.  "The thing I was most excited about in George's life right now was how tremendously excited he was to be a father. He was passionate about working as a football coach and how much he could make a difference with those young men. It's a tragic loss for all of us."

Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham, who recruited Clinkscale while he was still coach at Tulsa, called his former recruit "one of the most passionate young men I've ever met ... George is in a better place because of his strong faith," Graham said.

Game time is 6:00 p.m. at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.