French
DeutschKool-Aid McKinstry
 McKinstry with Alabama in 2021 | |
| New Orleans Saints | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 30, 2002 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 199 lb (90 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Pinson Valley (Pinson, Alabama) |
| College: | Alabama (2021–2023) |
| NFL draft: | 2024 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Unsigned draft pick |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry (born September 30, 2002) is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was named the 2021 USA Today High School Football Defensive Player of the Year before playing college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was named an All-American in 2023.
Early life and high school[edit]
McKinstry grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and attended Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Alabama.[1] He was named Alabama Mr. Football as a senior after breaking up 12 passes with two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns, on defense and catching 45 passes for 706 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense.[2] He was named the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.[3] McKinstry was rated a five-star recruit and committed to play college football at Alabama.[4]
College career[edit]
McKinstry played in every game was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team, making 25 tackles with a sack and one interception.[5][6] He declared for the 2024 NFL draft following the 2023 season in which he was named first-team All-American.[7]
Professional career[edit]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄2 in (1.82 m) | 199 lb (90 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 8+1⁄2 in (0.22 m) | 4.52 s | 1.44 s | 2.72 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) | ||||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[8][9] | ||||||||||||
On March 1, 2024, it was revealed that McKinstry was diagnosed with a fracture in his right foot, preventing him from taking part at the Combine, but he later stated that he would still participate in the Pro Day activities.[10] McKinstry was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 41st pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Personal life[edit]
McKinstry was nicknamed "Kool-Aid" by his grandmother as a baby because his smile reminded her of the Kool-Aid Man.[11] He signed a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with Kool-Aid as a freshman at Alabama.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ Polacek, Scott (July 19, 2020). "5-Star CB Ga'Quincy McKinstry Names Final 3 Teams Featuring Alabama, Auburn, LSU". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "Alabama signee Ga'Quincy McKinstry is Mr. Football for state". The Gadsden Times. January 17, 2021. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ Rodak, Mike (August 5, 2021). "McKinstry wins national awards, surprised by Gronk". al. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Ben (October 25, 2020). "Top 2021 prospect Ga'Quincy McKinstry commits to Tide over Auburn, LSU". AL.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ Windham, Katie (August 9, 2022). "Kool-Aid McKinstry Confident Heading into Sophomore Season". SI.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ Rodak, Mike (August 10, 2022). "What Kool-Aid McKinstry told his mom he wanted to do at Alabama". AL.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ Edholm, Eric. "Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry announces he intends to enter 2024 NFL Draft". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ "Kool-Aid McKinstry Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Kool-Aid McKinstry College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ "Kool-Aid McKinstry has Jones fracture in right foot, won't work out at combine". NFL. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Gatto, Tom (June 12, 2021). "Alabama has a defensive back named Kool-Aid McKinstry". Sporting News. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ Scarborough, Alex (August 18, 2021). "Alabama Crimson Tide freshman Ga'Quincy 'Kool-Aid' McKinstry signs NIL deal with drink company". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.