He was an All-American college football player at the University of Southern California (USC) where he played both offensive and defensive end, fullback and punter.
[3] From 1958-60, McKeever played both offensive and defensive end on the Trojans football team, as well as fullback and punter.
[8] In USC's 1960 upset victory over favored rival UCLA, McKeever caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Bill Nelson.
As a defensive end in the game, he was switched to the strong side with the aim of controlling UCLA star Billy Kilmer, whom McKeever successfully throttled in the USC victory.
Future College Football Hall of Fame USC coach John McKay, then in his first year, later said that victory saved his job.
During the 1960 season, Mike's career was cut short when he suffered a head injury in a game against Stanford, resulting in two blood clots in his brain.
[citation needed] McKeever was a first round pick in the 1961 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams, the fourth overall selection.
[6] During his professional career, he was coached by five members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame: George Allen,[20][21] Bud Grant,[22][23] Otto Graham,[24][25] Bob Waterfield[26][27] and Vince Lombardi.
[6][32] After the 1966 season, the Rams traded McKeever and a first round draft choice (future hall of famer Alan Page) to the Minnesota Vikings for Tommy Mason.
[35][36] After the 1967 season, the Vikings traded McKeever to Washington for future Hall of Fame safety Paul Krause.
[41] McKeever was traded along with first- and third-round selections in 1971 (10th and 63rd overall–Isiah Robertson and Dave Elmendorf respectively) included first- and third-round selections in 1971 (10th and 63rd overall–Isiah Robertson and Dave Elmendorf respectively) and third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounders in 1972 (73rd, 99th, 125th, 151st and 177th overall–to New England Patriots, traded to Philadelphia Eagles for Joe Carollo, Bob Christiansen, Texas Southern defensive tackle Eddie Herbert and to New York Giants respectively) from the Redskins to the Rams for Jack Pardee, Maxie Baughan, Myron Pottios, Diron Talbert, John Wilbur, Jeff Jordan and a 1971 fifth-round pick (124th overall–traded to Green Bay Packers for Boyd Dowler) on January 28, 1971.
[17] In 1973, McKeever played his final NFL season in Philadelphia, starting 11 games at middle linebacker.
[6] In 1974, about a year after his NFL playing career ended, McKeever made a long shot bid for the California State Assembly as a Republican.
Then incumbent John Quimby was defeated in the Democratic primary by Richard H. Robinson, who went on to beat McKeever by more than 21 points in what was then a Democratic-leaning Orange County district.
[3] Marlin appeared with several of his Los Angeles Rams teammates as football players in the 1965 Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the 12th Wildcat.
[8] He also became the leader of the Trojan Football Alumni Club and close friend of recent USC coaches, including Pete Carroll.
[2][50] Doctors in the intensive care unit at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California reported a blood clot on his brain.