Khalil Mack

Khalil Mack (born February 22, 1991) is an American professional football outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL. He played college football at the University at Buffalo and was chosen by the Oakland Raiders with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

Mack holds the NCAA all-time record for forced fumbles and is tied for the career lead in tackles for loss. In 2015, he became the first NFL player ever named first-team All-Pro at two different positions—defensive end and outside linebacker—in the same season. In 2018, the Raiders traded him to the Chicago Bears for two first-round draft picks, and he signed a six-year, $141 million extension, making him the highest-paid defensive player in league history at that time. He was traded to the Chargers in 2022.

Mack grew up in Fort Pierce, Florida, with his parents Yolanda, a teacher, and Sandy Mack Sr., a program specialist, and his two brothers, Sandy Jr. and LeDarius. His father introduced him to sports at age five, and he initially preferred baseball and basketball, though he also played Pop Warner football. He attended Fort Pierce Westwood High School, where he originally hoped to earn a college scholarship through basketball. That plan ended when he tore his patella tendon before his sophomore year.

His high school football coach, Waides Ashmon, then convinced Mack and his parents that football would get him a scholarship. Mack played quarterback and was nicknamed "Bombshell Man," but struggled with short passes, so he switched to linebacker. In his only season of high school football, he recorded 140 tackles, eight for loss, and nine sacks, earning third-team All-State in Florida and first-team All-Area honors while helping his team win a district championship.

Despite being a two-star recruit on Rivals.com and unrated by ESPN, he received a scholarship from the University at Buffalo.

After redshirting in 2009, Mack entered the Bulls' starting lineup and became one of the top defenders in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). As a redshirt freshman, he had 68 tackles, 14.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks, 10 pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles, earning third-team all-conference honors. He wore number 46 as a reminder that his overall rating in the NCAA Football 11 video game was only 46 out of 99. In his sophomore season, he led the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles, posting 64 tackles, 20.5 for loss (third in the nation), 5.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, 13 quarterback hurries, and five forced fumbles, earning first-team All-MAC.

As a junior, despite a one-game suspension for an altercation with a teammate, he set career highs with 94 tackles, 21 tackles for loss (fourth in the nation), and eight sacks, adding two pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, and four forced fumbles, again earning first-team all-conference. In his senior year, starting all 13 games, he recorded 100 tackles, 19 for loss, 10.5 sacks, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and five forced fumbles.

He won the CFPA Linebacker Trophy and was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year, the first Buffalo player to win that award. He was also a second-team All-American by the Associated Press. Mack finished his college career tied for first in NCAA history with 75 career tackles for loss and set the record with 16 forced fumbles. Buffalo's student newspaper, The Spectrum, ranked him the best football player in the program's Division I history. He was elected to the University at Buffalo Athletics Hall of Fame in the class of 2024.

Leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, Mack was widely projected as a high first-round pick. The Oakland Raiders selected him fifth overall, making him the highest-drafted Buffalo player ever and the only one taken in the first round. He switched from number 46 to 52 to comply with NFL rules and signed a four-year, $18.67 million guaranteed contract. In his NFL debut against the Jets, he had six tackles in a 19–14 loss.

In Week 7 against the Cardinals, he recorded a season-high 11 tackles in a 24–13 loss. In Week 11, a 13–6 road loss to the San Diego Chargers, he got his first career sack on Philip Rivers. Three weeks later, he sacked Colin Kaepernick twice in a 24–13 win over the 49ers, his first multi-sack game. Mack finished his rookie season with 76 combined tackles (59 solo), four sacks, a forced fumble, and three pass deflections in 16 starts. He finished third in voting for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.