John Mackey

Height:
5-10
Weight:
215
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Uniontown, Ohio
High School:
Walsh Jesuit HS

Battled injuries all during his junior season, but still managed to lead the squad in tackles ... Enters his senior season with 189 career tackles, tops among current Zips ... Had an excellent spring and was cited numerous times by Coach Brookhart both for his play and leadership ... In addition to his contributions on defense, serves as the holder on the PAT/field goal unit.
Junior (2006): Led the team with 88 tackles, starting all 12 contests at the rover position ... Was recipient of Akron’s Fred Sefton Award for Defensive Performance, which annually goes to unit’s top player ... Tied for 20th in the Mid-American Conference and 99th nationally with his average of 7.3 tackles per contest ... Of his 88 stops, seven went for losses ... Added two pass breakups, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble and fumble recovery ... Had at least six tackles in nine of Akron’s 12 games, recoding no fewer than four in any one contest ... Started the season with a team-best, eight-tackle performance at Penn State, including a TFL and a forced fumble ... Backed that performance with a six-tackle performance in the win at North Carolina State ... Registered 10 stops and a pass breakup at Kent State ... Just missed double digits the following game with nine tackles at Cincinnati, including a TFL ... Was second on the team with seven tackles, including two for losses, in a win over Miami ... Tallied a team- and season-high 11 stops, including nine solos, with a pass breakup in the Bowling Green victory ... Closed the season with seven tackles at Ohio and a team-high 10 tackles versus Western Michigan ... A preseason first team All-MAC choice by Street and Smith’s.
Sophomore (2005): Started all 13 games at rover (six) and strong safety (seven) ... Made the move to strong safety after season-ending injuries to Dion Elie and Chevin Pace ... Also played on most of the special teams units ... One of just two players to start all 13 games in the secondary (also Reggie Corner) ... Second on the team in total tackles (95) and solo stops (59) ... Opened the year with five tackles (four solo) at Purdue ... Had a career night with 14 tackles (nine solo) versus Central Michigan ... Picked up his first career interception and finished with 10 tackles at Miami ... Eight total tackles, including two for a loss, as the Zips clinched the MAC East title with a 35-3 win over Kent State ... Led the Zips with 11 tackles (nine solo) versus Memphis in the Motor City Bowl ... Also recorded his first career fumble recovery in the game which led to a Zips field goal ... Earned the “Gung Ho” Special Teams Player of the Year Award.Redshirt Freshman (2004): Appeared in nine games as a reserve defensive back and on special teams ... Missed the Marshall and Ohio games with a broken hand but returned for the season finale against Miami ... Had at least one tackle in each of the first four games with solo stops at Penn State, versus Middle Tennessee State and at Kent State ... Finished with a season-high three tackles (two solo) at Virginia.
Freshman (2003): Redshirted.
Prior to Akron: Earned first team All-Ohio (Division III) honors as a senior ... Tabbed the NEO Inland Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2002 ... Tallied 98 tackles, including eight sacks, along with four interceptions in leading Walsh to a 6-5 record ... Also rushed for 541 yards on 105 attempts and five touchdowns in being chosen first team All-Summit County as a senior ... Honorable mention all-district as a junior ... Coached by Gerry Rardin.