What a cool story. From Reiss's Pieces:
In selecting South Florida linebacker Tyrone McKenzie with the 97th overall selection, the Patriots landed a player with one of the most inspirational stories in the draft.
McKenzie played at three colleges, and after his mother was left unable to work by injuries suffered in an accident, he left school and was working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. at a Hampton Inn to support her and his three sisters.
In a nutshell, he had to work harder than everyone around him to hold on to his dream and take responsibility for supporting his family. I love this kid already. Tyrone is clearly a huge value pick. He doesn't possess the crazy skills of an Aaron Curry or Clay Matthews, but he'll project well as a pass rusher, in my opinion. Slightly smaller than you'd like for an OLB, I think he's the "get in the backfield" guy we've been missing. I'm a firm believer in the pass rush as a disruptive tool and I hope Tyrone carves out a niche.
Great value pick for the Patriots. I don't think he'll need to work at a hotel anymore.