Though he was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 10th round of the 1960 NFL draft,[2] McClinton returned to Kansas for his senior season, helping them to a record of 7–3–1 and a berth in the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl.
While at Kansas, McClinton was also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and a standout on the track team, winning the Big Eight championship in hurdles all three years he competed.
He graduated from KU in 1962, and later received a master's degree from Central Michigan University and a doctorate from Miles College.
McClinton went on to become one of the early stars of the American Football League, with the Dallas Texans, and with their successors, the Kansas City Chiefs, and is the ninth-leading rusher in franchise history.
He was a member all three of the franchise's AFL title clubs and both Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl teams, including the winners of the fourth and final AFL-NFL World Championship Game in January 1970.