McCree also played for the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos.
McCree survived a tumultuous childhood in inner-city Orlando during the 1980s and 90s that saw him lose an older brother, Cameron, to leukemia.
But with the guidance of family members, teachers and other mentors, McCree was able to excel at Atlantic High School in Port Orange, Florida, where he was a letterman in football, basketball, and track.
A three-year starter, he arrived at Kentucky as a strong safety, but moved to linebacker midway through his redshirt freshman season.
[2] Though unheralded, McCree immediately made an impact in training camp with Jacksonville, and assumed a starting role early in his rookie season.
McCree was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers prior to the 2005 NFL season, where he served as the starting free safety.
His second interception of the game of New York's Eli Manning preserved a 20–0 lead, and effectively put the Panthers ahead for good.
During a January 14, 2007, playoff game against the New England Patriots, McCree had a critical fourth quarter interception with the Chargers leading, 21–13.
However, while tackling McCree following the interception, Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown managed to strip the ball away from him.
[6] San Diego's defense was unable to stop New England on the drive that followed, and the Patriots scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game at 21.
On January 13, 2008, late in the fourth quarter of a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning was driving Indy toward what appeared to be a go-ahead score.
"As an emphatic hush fell over the crowd," wrote Jim McCabe in the Boston Globe, "the reality of the situation sank in, thanks to McCree's superb play.