*Created by Scott Burnstein*
Another dash of the NFL with Lombardi-Trophy-blingage to flash around is coming into the OAA.
Defending D1 football state champs Southfield A&T hired Super Bowl-champion Keith McKenzie, a retired NFL vet and longtime college assistant coach to helm the program following Aaron Marshall’s departure back in the winter to take the reins at Birmingham Brother Rice in the Catholic League.
A&T went 13-1 and won its second straight OAA White title in 2023. McKenzie comes to the OAA Red from consecutive assistant stints at Ball State and Wayne State. In college, McKenzie starred at linebacker for Ball State before going on to have a career in the NFL playing with the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Brett Favre-led Packers in the 1996 season during his rookie campaign. Known for his pass-rushing skills and ability to cover the pass in the flat, he registered 29.5 sacks in an 8-year run in the Show.
The OAA Red also boasts former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Zach Line, the sideline general at Oxford, in its gridiron coaching ranks. Line won a Lombardi Trophy with the New Orleans Saints as a fullback and was hired by his alma mater in the winter of 2020, just days after his retirement..
University of Michigan assistant coach Ron Bellamy left West Bloomfield to join the staff at his alma mater following winning a D1 state crown in the 2020-2021 season. Bellamy played wide receiver in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions.