At the CFL Combine last month I had a chance to sit down with South Alabama linebacker Darius McKenzie. He’s coming off a season with 71 tackles (a career high) and has been mocked as high as 10th in mock drafts this offseason, and most recently 12th to Edmonton. Here’s the conversation I had with him.
ME: I don’t know if you know this, but you’re one of the guys who’s mocked really high. Are you one of the guys who reads those things coming in and you kind of know what the mock drafts look like, draft boards look like? Or are you just like, I’m going to play, do what I can on the field, let what happens happen?
MCKENZIE: Yeah, I’m just going to let what happens happen. I mean, my agent made me aware of, like, all the rankings and stuff. But, I mean, I just go out there and play football for the love of the game.
ME: Why did you choose South Alabama as opposed to USports? Like, why NCAA? Was it just quality football?
MCKENZIE: I was just looking for, like, a better opportunity. I wanted to play against better competition, looking to develop, looking to get that full scholarship education. I was able to receive three degrees for free, two master’s degrees. So it’s just a great opportunity right there. And it was just a nice opportunity to live in another country and play American football.
ME: What’s the, what’s the Sun Belt like?
MCKENZIE: The Sun Belt’s great. I mean, it’s basically like an SEC feeder program. And, like, it seems like every weekend the scouting report has, like, this receiver runs a 4.4, 4.43. So great competition. And overall, I just really enjoyed playing there. It forced me to step up my game, transitioning from the University of Maine and playing at a lower level of Division I and all of a sudden playing at the FBS level. So it was a great experience out there, and it definitely got me better over the past two years.
ME: So what’s it like going FCS to FBS to then come in here to the combine? Obviously, this is just a combine, but a lot of intensity, a lot of guys looking to go pro. So how does it kind of go from level to level to level?
MCKENZIE: I’d say, like, from my experience, like, from FCS to FBS, FCS is just a little, it’s still quality, but it’s really just like the one-deep is good. Like any team could be good as long as all the starters are good. But as soon as, like, two or three injuries happen, then all of a sudden, like, your team’s not going to do as well. Whereas at the FBS level, like, our two-deep was solid. Like they could start anywhere. They’d all be starters at the FCS level. Also at the FBS level, the physicality from the O-line and D-line is just, like, unseen. Like I’d never experienced that while playing in Canada, never experienced at FCS. All of a sudden, the FBS level is crazy. And then the only other main difference was with the skill. Skill positions, most of those guys are, like, legit ran 4.4 and 4.5, like laser at combines in high school, so it’s a very fast conference to play in. So, like, really quickly, I guess just thinking with this, you see a school like NDSU, like they’re going to FBS next season, like how do you think they’re going to fare? Oh, I think they’re going to do well. So honestly, I’ve played against teams that went up that level. So, I mean, JMU used to be in our conference. We played against JMU. They used to dominate everyone. And they used to lose to North Dakota State. So now they made an FBS playoff. And North Dakota State, now they’re going up another level. I played against them. They were dominant. They have a great culture, a great scheme program over there. Just year in, year out, the coaches know what to do, and they get it done over there. Just straight results. So I think ultimately when they go to the FBS level, they’re probably going to do the same thing. I can see them winning the Mountain West and getting their fair shot at the College Football Playoff.
ME: So when you’re here talking with coaches, is it a little bit more like you’re telling them, hey, this is what I can do. This is how I’m looking in different sets. This is how I’m looking at 3-4, 4-3, whatever. Or is it more like this is who I am as a person?
MCKENZIE: Mostly, honestly, they want to know about me as a person because I think the film speaks for itself, especially playing down in South Alabama in the Sun Belt. I was the captain for my team. I started at all three positions. Literally, 12 personnel, I started at Sam. 11 personnel, I started at Will. And if it’s 10 personnel, I started at Mike. So always on the field, very versatile.
And, I mean, the film speaks for itself. So it’s really just been learning about me, learning about their programs, and just having good conversations.
ME: From kind of, like, a human element, like, knowing where you’re supposed to be mocked, would there, like, does it get past the point if you’re not drafted by a certain number where that would kind of start to, like, eat you up?
MCKENZIE: No, honestly, I’m just, like, I’m blessed with the opportunity just knowing I’m going to get drafted. Like, I’m going to end up somewhere, and, like, that’s all I ever wanted, just the opportunity to play professional football in Canada. It’s been a dream since I was seven years old, and now that, like, that opportunity is coming to fruition, I’m just very excited, and I just don’t want to draft it. I’m going to get that opportunity. Yeah.
ME: You’re one of the few guys here. You actually have a video game rating. Yes, sir. Do you know what it is?
MCKENZIE: Yeah, 81 overall.
ME: Is that good? Too high?
MCKENZIE: Oh, 81. I think it’s all right. I wish it was a little bit higher. But, I mean, in terms of ratings, like, anything over 80 is, like, pretty elusive. It’s a good place to be. If you were going to bump one rating, what would it be? Like, speed, strength? I would bump my speed up because I got good tackling and, like, coverage awareness. But I don’t think they have, like, my speed up to date on there.
