Cardinals believe they found a 'special human, special player' in rookie TE Trey McBride

Trey McBride had yet to catch his first pass as the Cardinals opened their three-day, rookie mini-camp on Thursday and the tight end from Colorado State had already made NFL history.

That’s because upon being selected by Arizona with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft two weeks ago, McBride became the first known player with same-sex parents to ever join the league.

“I’m excited to see him just live his dream,” McBride’s mother, Kate, told “The Today Show” the week of the draft. “When your kid comes to you when they’re little and they say they want to be president, you’re like, ‘OK, honey. That’s great.’ He wanted to play in the NFL, and he’s going to do it.”

Being able to cherish the moment he was drafted by Arizona and celebrate it with both of his moms, Kate and her longtime partner, Jen, was something McBride will never forget.

“That’s been my goal since I was a little kid. I always wanted to play in this league,” he said Thursday during his introductory news conference at the Cardinals’ Tempe training facility. “It’s been the highlight of my life.

“When I got that phone call, it was just really a dream come true and I’m still so excited. To celebrate with my family and have them be a part of that there with me was really so special and something I’m very grateful for.”

As prideful as he is of his upbringing and his openness when talking about his parents, McBride hopes to make more headlines simply from his play on the football field. And it’s there where the Cardinals believe they drafted a steal in the 6-foot-3, 249-pound native from Carlsbad, Calif.

McBride was the consensus top-rated tight end in the draft and won the John Mackey Award last season as the most outstanding tight end in college football. A unanimous first-team All-American, he led all FBS tight ends in receptions (90), receiving yards (1,121) and receiving yards per game (93.4).

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After signing Zach Ertz to a three-year extension, bringing back Maxx Williams on a one-year deal and adding Stephen Anderson as a free agent, it was a curious move by Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim to use a second-round pick on a tight end.

It had to happen, according to Keim. McBride was the best player still available on Arizona’s draft board, he said.

“This guy was by far the highest graded for us,” Keim said. “He was sticking out and as it got closer to the pick, we were all obviously getting a little nervous that someone would select him ahead of us. We were thankful he was there.”

Keim went on to call McBride “a special human” and “a special player.”

“The guy can do it all,” he said. “He can play in-line, he can flex, he can motion, he can play out of the backfield. He’s got tremendous hands and a great catching radius. He’s really strong in a crowd. And his character is off the charts. He’s a three-time captain, a phenomenal leader and we’re just thankful he was there.”

McBride said he was hoping all along he would end up with the Cardinals. That’s because he fell in love with the state of Arizona upon coming here to train in advance of the NFL scouting combine and his Pro Day at Colorado State.

“I told my agent, ‘Whether I go there or not, I want to live there, man. I love Arizona,’ so it all worked out. I’m just happy as heck to be here,” McBride said. “Arizona’s great and it’s just a dream come true.”

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Getting the chance to catch passes from Kyler Murray and work alongside Ertz, the Cardinals’ 10-year veteran, makes it all the more special, he said. McBride hasn’t met Ertz yet, but he’s looking forward to learning as much as he can from him.

“He’s a tight end who’s played in this league for a long time, he’s been around, and he knows how to do it the right way,” McBride said. “I’m excited to pick his brain a little bit and just kind of be a sponge. I want to soak in everything that I can from him and not only him, but just other guys on the team. It’s really cool to be around guys like that who have played so long and learn and pick their brain and get knowledge out of them.”

McBride feels the same way about his parents, Kate and Jen. They’ve always wanted the best for Trey and his brothers, and their support has been unwavering, especially when it came to concerns about kids picking on the boys because they have same-sex parents.

“You always worry about your kids, because we’re all kids. We know how kids are,” Jen told “The Today Show.” “But the main thing with them is, be confident in who you are. You come from a family that every single one of us are in your corner, no matter what, anytime in the day. So, nobody really talked about bullying.”

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During his appearance on “Today,” McBride said he’s always considered his family situation to be nothing but “normal.”

“It’s pretty special,” he said. “It’s heartwarming and they’ve been great role models for me and my brothers, so it’s cool to see how they raised us and it’s just very special for us. They’ve done a great job of pushing me to be the best version of myself and just constantly giving support and love.”

Note

The Cardinals have signed three of their draft choices to four-year deals. They are running back Keaontay Ingram, a sixth-round pick from USC, guard Lecitus Smith, a sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech and outside linebacker Jesse Luketa, a seventh-round pick from Penn State.

*The team is signing former Packers and Texans defensive tackle Kingsley Keke, according to a report by Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson.

The 6-3, 288-pound Keke played three seasons for Green Bay from 2019-21 upon being a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M. In 41 career games, including 17 starts, he has 54 tackles, 6½ sacks, five passes defensed, 13 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.

The Packers released him in January, and he was claimed by Houston the next day but the Texans waived him on May 2. Keke would provide some extra veteran help on Arizona’s defensive front in addition to Rashard Lawrence and Leki Fotu.

Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch. .

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals found "special human, special player" in rookie Trey McBride