He was a consensus All-State linebacker during his senior year, and was considered the 22nd best player in the state by the Knoxville News Sentinel.
[8] Los Angeles lost their divisional round to the 1985 New England Patriots, having difficulty stopping a running game which amassed 156 yards against them, led by Craig James' 104 yards behind an offensive line which featured John Hannah at left guard and Brian Holloway at left tackle.
McKenzie also started all 16 games the following year, but at outside linebacker in a 4–3–4 scheme, with Matt Millen inside and Jerry Robinson on the other side.
That year, the Volunteers appeared in the Florida Citrus Bowl and landed one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, highlighted by QB Peyton Manning.
McKenzie promptly fired head coach Hue Jackson and hired Dennis Allen, who had previously served as the defensive coordinator of a Denver Broncos squad that barely beat Oakland for a playoff spot.
[11] Before the 2012 NFL draft, he signed four free agents to help the defense: outside linebacker Philip Wheeler and cornerbacks Shawntae Spencer, Ron Bartell, and Pat Lee.
However, the Raiders' struggles (and double-digit losses) continued until the 2015 season, when the combination of new head coach Jack Del Rio and standout draftees Khalil Mack, Derek Carr and Amari Cooper led to a 7–9 resurgence.
[13] On January 19, 2017, following the Raiders' 12–4 regular season featuring strong performances by Carr, Mack, Cooper, and others, McKenzie was named the 2016 NFL Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.
2017 saw the Raiders produce a disappointing 6–10 record, leading to Del Rio's dismissal and replacement by returning head coach Jon Gruden.
Gruden was given near-total authority over the team by Davis, which led to the trades of Mack and Cooper and the departures of a number of McKenzie's draft selections.
The other members of his induction class included Joe Allison, Blaine Bishop, Isabelle Daniels Holston, Allan Houston, Johnnie Jones, Tim Mack, Glenn McCadams, Jackie Pope, and George Quarles.
[19] Kahlil was a five-star defensive tackle at Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord (Class of 2015), and currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens.