He played college football as a halfback for the Michigan Wolverines from 1959 to 1961 and was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 1962 NFL draft.

[3] In November 1961, McRae demonstrated his versatility, scoring three touchdowns—on a five-yard run, a 15-yard reception, and a 34-yard interception return—in a 28–14 victory over Duke.

[5] McRae was also a star track athlete at Michigan, competing in both the high and low hurdles.

He won four Big Ten Conference hurdle championships and was ranked as one of the top 10 hurdlers in the world in 1961 by Track and Field News.

[2] In October 1966, McRae was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting two Johnny Unitas passes and knocking down several others to lead the Bears to an upset victory over the Baltimore Colts.