How did Alabama football's Kool-Aid McKinstry get his nickname? Cornerback's grandmother responsible for tag
There's not a nickname that is cooler or more unique in this year's NFL draft class — or college football, perhaps Penn State's Demeioun "Chop" Robinson comes close but McKinstry still holds No. 1 in that.
Sure it factored into helping the entire nation become familiar with the Alabama football defensive back this past season, but McKinstry's talents on the gridiron also spoke for themselves in him becoming a household name as he was once again one of the nation's best cornerbacks, as displayed by his first-team All-American recognition by the Associated Press.
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His production this season — 32 total tackles, two tackles for a loss and seven broken-up passes — added on top of his breakout sophomore season (which included an interception and a career-high 16 broken up passes) also helped him emerge as a projected first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft.
And so, as Thursday's first round of the NFL draft inches closer, here's what you need to know about how McKinstry got the nickname "Kool-Aid" and where he is projected to go in the 2024 NFL Draft:
How did Kool-Aid McKinstry get the nickname 'Kool-Aid'?
As previously reported by Tuscaloosa News Alabama beat reporter Nick Kelly back in October of 2023, McKinstry received the nickname "Kool-Aid" right from birth as he came out smiling as opposed to the normal reaction of a baby crying.
"I told his mom, 'Look at this boy with this big Kool-Aid smile on his face,'" McKinstry's grandmother, Geneva Allen, told Kelly on how the nickname came about.
Brenda Allen, McKinstry's mom, added to Kelly: "Never did I think that nickname would be big like it is. I didn’t expect that name would get you somewhere, or that name is going to be a household name like the Kool-Aid drink. I never thought that."
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What is Kool-Aid McKinstry's birth name?
McKinstry's legal first name by birth is Ga'Quincy. He was born on September 30, 2002.
The 6-foot-2 cornerback out of Pinson Valley High School was a five-star recruit and the No. 18-overall ranked prospect in the class of 2021 according to his 247sports composite page. He was also the No. 1 ranked cornerback in his recruiting class and the No. 1 ranked player in the state of Alabama.
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Kool-Aid McKinstry NFL mock drafts
Here's where NFL draft analysts have McKinstry going in the 2024 NFL Draft:
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. (as of April 10): No. 30 overall to the Baltimore Ravens
ESPN's Field Yates (as of April 15): No. 30 overall to the Ravens
CBS Sports' Jared Dubin (as of April 15): No. 31 overall to the San Francisco 49ers
USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (as of April 15): No. 31 overall to the 49ers
NFL Network's and 'Good Morning Football''s Peter Schrager (as of April 16): No. 30 overall to the Ravens
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This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How did Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry get his nickname?
