 | |
| No. 48, 4, 9, 52, 11 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Etiwanda (Ca) |
| Undrafted: | 2005 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Thomas "T.J." McKenzie is a former indoor football defensive lineman.
McKenzie graduated from Etiwanda High School in Etiwanda, Ca. [1]
Following the 2006 season,it was announced that McKenzie had signed with the Marion Mayhem of the Continental Indoor Football League. [1] Thomas was a force for the Mayhem for many years. He set the CIFL record for sacks in a game with 4.0. [2]
After the Mayhem season ended abruptly in 2010, McKenzie, and several other Mayhem players, joined the Fort Wayne FireHawks to finish the 2010 season. The FireHawks, had locked up a playoff spot, when Marion folded. [3] In the final game of the season, McKenzie broke his own record of 4.5 sacks, by recording 5.5 sacks against the Chicago Cardinals. [4]
In 2011, McKenzie signed to play with the Northern Kentucky River Monsters of the Ultimate Indoor Football League, rather than sign with the newly formed Marion Blue Racers, which replaced the Mayhem. Thomas went on to set many records in the UIFL's inaugural season, on his way to earning Defensive Player of the Year honors.
For the 2012 season, McKenzie signed to play with the Marion Blue Racers. [5] This will be McKenzie's return to Marion after playing with the Mayhem in 2010. McKenzie recorded 20 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. [6] His 12 sacks ranked 4th in the UIFL on the season, [7] earning him Honorable Mention All-UIFL North Team. [8] The Blue Racers returned to the CIFL for the 2013 season, and McKenzie with them. The Blue Racers had a disappointing season, but McKenzie did not, as he earned 1st Team All-CIFL honors for the 3 time in his career. McKenzie re-signed with the Blue Racers for 2014 and has also seen spot duty as fullback; he scored two touchdowns (one at each position) in that year's CIFL Championship Game, a 38–26 loss to the Erie Explosion. Despite the loss, McKenzie was named league MVP for the 2014 season.
The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL). It was formed by Jeff Spitaleri, his brother Eric, and a third member, Cory Trapp, all from the Canton, Ohio, area.
The Marion Mayhem were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The team was a charter member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL), later renamed the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL), joining in 2006 as an expansion team. The Mayhem were the first professional indoor football team to be based in Marion, but were the second pro football team to be based in the area since the NFL's Oorang Indians. The team folded during the 2010 season due to financial problems. The Owners of the Mayhem were Michael Burtch and Stanley Jackson. They played their home games at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Marion, Ohio.
The Erie Explosion was a professional American indoor football team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007 as the Pittsburgh RiverRats, the Explosion played in the Professional Indoor Football League, the United Indoor Football League, the Southern Indoor Football League, the Continental Indoor Football League and the American Indoor Football Association and operated continuously from 2007 to 2015.
The Saginaw Sting was a professional Indoor Football team based in Saginaw, Michigan. The team was most recently a member of American Indoor Football (AIF). They began play in 2008 as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League and then moved to the Indoor Football League for the 2009 season. They suspended operations for the 2010 season before becoming an inaugural member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. The following season they were suspended by the UIFL and re-joined the CIFL under new ownership. The team has since moved to the AIF. The owners of the Sting were Stuart Schweigert, Rob Licht and Jim O'Brien. The Sting played their home games at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.
Lorenzo Cavelle Styles is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for six seasons for the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams, and spent half a season as the Head Coach of the Marion Blue Racers. His sons are Lorenzo, Sonny, and Spencer Helms.
The Cincinnati Commandos were a professional indoor football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team suspended operations for the 2013 season, with hope of returning in 2014. They began play in 2010 as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League before moving to the United Indoor Football League in 2012. The Commandos then left the UIFL after winning Ultimate Bowl II and re-joined the CIFL, but never took the field after its announcement. The Commandos were the fifth arena or indoor football in Cincinnati, after the Cincinnati Rockers, Cincinnati Swarm, Cincinnati Marshals, and Cincinnati Jungle Kats. The owners of the Commandos are Dennis Whitman and Paul Napier. The Commandos played their home games at Cincinnati Gardens.
The Fort Wayne FireHawks were a professional indoor football team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team joined the Continental Indoor Football League as an expansion team during the 2010 season. The FireHawks were the fourth attempt at indoor football in Fort Wayne after the original Fort Wayne Freedom, Fort Wayne Fusion, and the second Fort Wayne Freedom. The Owner of the FireHawks was Championship Sports Enterprises LLC. The FireHawks played their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
The 2010 Continental Indoor Football League season was the league's fifth overall season. The regular season started on Saturday March 13 with the expansion Cincinnati Commandos defeating the Miami Valley Silverbacks 38-32, and ended with the 2010 CIFL Championship Game, on June 26, 2010, at the Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio where the Commandos defeated the Wisconsin Wolfpack 54-40.
The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League (UIFL) for the 2012 season. The Blue Racers returned to the CIFL in 2013. The team had announced that it would be joining the Xtreme Indoor Football League (XIFL) for the 2014, but later re-signed with the CIFL. During the 2015 season, the Blue Racers played as members of X-League Indoor Football.
The 2010 Fort Wayne Firehawks season was the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise. In November 2009, the FireHawks were announced as the successor team to the Fort Wayne Freedom. Owners J. Michael Loomis and John Christner purchased the assets left from the Freedom franchise, who had played the two seasons before the FireHawks were announced. Christner's first action as General Manager was naming former Freedom head coach Willie Davis as the team's first head coach. On December 9, 2009, it was confirmed that Loomis and Christner would take over the entities that used to run the Freedom. Before the season started, the team announced they had signed Katie Hnida as the team's placekicker. Hnida is best known for becoming the first woman to score a point in an NCAA football game and speaking out during the recruiting scandal at her first school, the University of Colorado.
The 2011 Marion Blue Racers season was the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise. They took over to fill the void in Marion, Ohio, after the Marion Mayhem folded the year before. The franchise couldn't have asked for a more exciting start than their first game on March 5, 2011. Marion entered the 4th quarter trailing 37-23 to the Port Huron Predators. They started their comeback by scoring a touchdown with 10:31 left in the game. Mike Tatum caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Josh Harris and Tyler Lorenz added the extra point, cutting Port Huron's lead was cut to 37–30. With 3:27 left in the game, Harris ran in from three yards out to tie the game. The game-winning score came on an eight-yard run by Harris with 27 seconds to play. Port Huron quarterback Jim Roth was intercepted by Bryan Williams as time expired to secure the victory. On April 2, 2011, the Blue Racers set a CIFL record with 8 rushing touchdowns in a single game, against the Indianapolis Enforcers. After the Blue Racers got off to a 3–1 start, Demetrius Ross stepped down from his head coaching position, citing personal reasons. His defensive coordinator, Ryan Terry, took over as head coach, just 2 days before the Blue Racers played their first road game at the Dayton Silverbacks. The Blue Racers went on to an 8–2 regular season record, losing twice to the Cincinnati Commandos. The team defeated the Dayton Silverbacks 53–18 in the league semi-finals, before being defeated by the Commandos again in the 2011 CIFL Championship Game 44–29.
Mike Anthony Tatum is currently the Offensive Coordinator for the Omaha Beef. Mike is the ALL TIME yards leader in Indoor Football League history. He is former indoor American football wide receiver for the Nebraska Danger, Bismarck Bucks and the Sioux Falls Storm of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football at Oxnard College. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Marion Mayhem in 2009. He played with the Mayhem until their demise during the 2010 season. Tatum then finished the 2010 season with the Fort Wayne FireHawks. Tatum then returned to Marion in 2011, when a new franchise called the Marion Blue Racers expanded into the CIFL. Tatum has also played for the Everett Raptors of the IFL. Tatum is known for his return capabilities, winning Special Teams Player of the Year in 2 different leagues.
Bryan Williams is a former American football defensive back. He played college football at the University of Akron.
The Northern Kentucky River Monsters were a professional indoor football team based in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The River Monsters began play as a charter member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) for its inaugural 2011 season spending one season in the UIFL before reaching an agreement with league management to leave. After a two-year hiatus, the River Monsters returned in 2014 as a member of the South Division of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The River Monsters played their home games at The Bank of Kentucky Center. On June 6, 2011, it was announced that the UIFL and the River Monsters mutually agreed to part ways, leaving the team free to join another league. However, the UIFL had a lease agreement with the arena, which hampered the likelihood the River Monsters would play in Highland Heights in 2012. The team had been mentioned as a charter member Stadius Football Association in 2012, but that league never got off the ground. The team suspended operations on October 1, 2014.
The 2012 Marion Blue Racers season was the 2nd season for the United Indoor Football League (UIFL) franchise.
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