Kool-Aid McKinstry

Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry (born September 30, 2002) is an American football cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Kool-Aid McKinstry
McKinstry with Alabama in 2021
Alabama Crimson Tide – No. 1
PositionCornerback
ClassJunior
Personal information
Born: (2002-09-30) September 30, 2002
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career history
College
Bowl games
High schoolPinson Valley (Pinson, Alabama)
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school

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 after considering offers from Auburn and LSU.[4]

College career

McKinstry played in all 15 of Alabama's games during his freshman year and made 25 tackles with one sack and one interception and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team.[5][6] By 2023, he was considered to be among the top cornerback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.[7]

Personal life

McKinstry was nicknamed "Kool-Aid" by his grandmother shortly after birth because his smile reminded her of the Kool-Aid Man.[8] He signed a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with Kool-Aid during his freshman season.[9]

References
  1. Polacek, Scott (July 19, 2020). "5-Star CB Ga'Quincy McKinstry Names Final 3 Teams Featuring Alabama, Auburn, LSU". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  2. "Alabama signee Ga'Quincy McKinstry is Mr. Football for state". The Gadsden Times. January 17, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  3. Rodak, Mike (2021-08-05). "McKinstry wins national awards, surprised by Gronk". al. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  4. Thomas, Ben (October 25, 2020). "Top 2021 prospect Ga'Quincy McKinstry commits to Tide over Auburn, LSU". AL.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  5. Windham, Katie (August 9, 2022). "Kool-Aid McKinstry Confident Heading into Sophomore Season". SI.com. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  6. Rodak, Mike (August 10, 2022). "What Kool-Aid McKinstry told his mom he wanted to do at Alabama". AL.com. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  7. "2024 NFL Draft: Kool-Aid McKinstry 2022 Highlights". Visit NFL Draft on Sports Illustrated, the latest news coverage, with rankings for NFL Draft prospects, College Football, Dynasty and Devy Fantasy Football. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  8. Gatto, Tom (June 12, 2021). "Alabama has a defensive back named Kool-Aid McKinstry". Sporting News. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  9. Scarborough, Alex (August 18, 2021). "Alabama Crimson Tide freshman Ga'Quincy 'Kool-Aid' McKinstry signs NIL deal with drink company". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
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