Khalil Mack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Khalil Mack

Mack with the Chicago Bears in 2019
No. 52 – Los Angeles Chargers
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1991-02-22) February 22, 1991 (age 34) Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	269 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school:	Fort Pierce Westwood
College:	Buffalo (2009–2013)
NFL Draft:	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
Oakland Raiders (2014) Chicago Bears (2018) Los Angeles Chargers (2022–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2016) 4× First-team All-Pro (2015, 2016, 2018) Second-team All-Pro (2020) 9× Pro Bowl (2015–2020, 2022–2024) NFL 2010s All-Decade Team 2× Butkus Award (pro) (2016, 2018) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2014) 100 Greatest Bears of All-Time MAC Defensive Player of the Year (2013) Jack Lambert Trophy (2013) First-team All-American (2013) 3× First-team All-MAC (2011–2013)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles: 630 Sacks: 107.5 Forced fumbles: 32 Fumble recoveries: 13 Interceptions: 3 Defensive touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR

Khalil Delshon Mack (born February 22, 1991) is a star American football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). A linebacker is a defensive player who has to be strong enough to stop running plays and fast enough to cover receivers. Mack is known for being one of the best defensive players in the league. He played college football for the Buffalo Bulls before being picked by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL draft.

Mack is a record-breaking player. In college, he set the NCAA record for most forced fumbles (when a player makes an opponent drop the ball). In 2015, he did something no one else had ever done in the NFL. He was named a first-team All-Pro (the best player at a position) at two different positions in the same season: defensive end and outside linebacker.

In 2018, the Chicago Bears traded for Mack and gave him a huge six-year, $141 million contract. At the time, this made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. In 2022, he was traded to the Chargers, where he continues to be a top player.

Early Life and High School

Khalil Mack grew up in Fort Pierce, Florida, with his parents, Yolanda and Sandy Sr., and his two brothers. His dad got him into sports when he was just five years old. Mack loved baseball and basketball and hoped to get a college scholarship for basketball.

However, a serious knee injury before his second year of high school changed his plans. His football coach, Waides Ashmon, saw his potential and convinced him to try football. He promised Mack and his parents that football would earn him a college scholarship.

In his only year playing high school football, Mack was amazing. He made 140 tackles and nine sacks. He was named one of the best players in Florida and helped his team win a championship. Even with this success, he was only rated as a two-star recruit. But it was enough to get a scholarship to play Division I football for the University at Buffalo.

College Career

Mack (wearing number 46) playing for Buffalo in 2013.

After sitting out his first year in 2009, a practice known as redshirting, Mack became a star player for Buffalo. In his first season of play, he was named to the all-conference third-team. He chose to wear number 46 as motivation because a video game, NCAA Football 11, had given him a low player rating of 46 out of 99.

Over the next few years, Mack became one of the most dominant defensive players in college football. He was named first-team All-MAC three times. In his final season in 2013, he had 100 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and three interceptions. He was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-American.

Mack left college as a record-setter. He tied the NCAA record for career tackles for loss (75) and set a new record for forced fumbles (16). He is considered one of the best players in the history of the University at Buffalo's football program.

College Statistics

Buffalo Bulls
Season	GP	Tackles						Interceptions					Fumbles			Blk
		Solo	Ast	Cmb	TfL	Sck	Yds	Int	Yds	BU	PD	QBH	FR	Yds	FF	Kick
2009	0	Redshirt
2010	12	40	28	68	14.5	4.5	40	0	0	10	0	8	1	0	2	0
2011	12	38	27	65	20.5	5.5	35	1	23	2	0	13	0	0	5	1
2012	11	52	42	94	21.0	8.0	63	0	0	2	2	4	0	0	4	1
2013	13	56	44	100	19.0	10.5	79	3	125	7	10	6	3	0	5	0
Career	48	186	141	327	75.0	28.5	217	4	148	21	12	31	4	0	16	2

Professional Career

Because of his amazing college career, experts expected Mack to be one of the first players chosen in the 2014 NFL draft.

Oakland Raiders (2014–2017)

Mack during his time with the Raiders in 2015.

The Oakland Raiders selected Mack with the fifth overall pick in the draft. This made him the highest-drafted player ever from the University at Buffalo. He signed a four-year contract worth over $18 million. In his first season, he had 76 tackles and four sacks. He finished third in the voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

In 2015, Mack had a historic season. He played both defensive end and outside linebacker. In a game against the Denver Broncos, he tied a team record with five sacks. At the end of the season, he became the first player in NFL history to be named a first-team All-Pro at two different positions in the same year.

Mack sacking quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2017.

The 2016 season was even better. Mack recorded 11 sacks, forced five fumbles, and even scored his first NFL touchdown by returning an interception. His amazing plays helped the Raiders make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. For his efforts, he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

In 2017, his last season with the Raiders, Mack continued to be a force on defense. He recorded 10.5 sacks and was named to his third straight Pro Bowl, the NFL's all-star game.

Chicago Bears (2018–2021)

Mack in his first season with the Chicago Bears in 2018.

On September 1, 2018, the Raiders traded Mack to the Chicago Bears. The Bears immediately signed him to a six-year, $141 million contract extension, which made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league at that time.

Mack made an incredible debut with the Bears. In his first game, he had a sack, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and returned an interception for a touchdown. He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. He finished the season with 12.5 sacks and helped the Bears win their division. He was named a first-team All-Pro for the third time.

Mack continued to play at a high level for the Bears for the next few seasons. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in both 2019 and 2020. In 2021, his season was cut short after seven games due to a foot injury that required surgery.

Los Angeles Chargers (2022–Present)

In March 2022, the Bears traded Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers. This move reunited him with head coach Brandon Staley, who had been one of his coaches in Chicago. In his first game with the Chargers, playing against his old team the Raiders, Mack had three sacks.

The 2023 season was one of his best ever. In a Week 4 game against the Raiders, Mack set a Chargers team record with an incredible six sacks in a single game. This was just one short of the all-time NFL record. He finished the season with a career-high 17 sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl.

During the 2024 season, Mack continued to be a key player for the Chargers' defense, earning another Pro Bowl selection. On March 13, 2025, he signed a one-year contract extension to stay with the team.

Personal Life

Mack is a talented musician who taught himself to play the guitar in college. He is also a fan of country music. He is an active Christian.

Football runs in the family. Mack's younger brother, LeDarius, also played football at the University at Buffalo. He later joined his brother on the Chicago Bears in 2020.

Images for kids

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  Mack in 2013

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  Mack in 2019

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Postseason

See also

In Spanish: Khalil Mack para niños