Lake Region's McKinney uses late father as inspiration

Lake Region running back B.J. McKinney received the handoff from quarterback Kalvin Johnson, bounced the ball to the outside before making a guy miss and scampering for 39 yards near the end of the first quarter.

This play didn't result in any points — or a win — when the Thunder were pitted against the Auburndale Bloodhounds last Friday at home. But not only was McKinney running the rock, he was catching it, too, out of the backfield and turning up field. Lake Region's best player this year has 33 carries for 218 yards, two touchdowns and 33 catches for 451 yards and four touchdowns.

The senior, who last year earned a spot on The Ledger's all-county team, also plays safety, accumulating 33 tackles, two tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 2023.

"It feels pretty good, having a good atmosphere around me, to having a good coach that believes and lets me (utilize) my athleticism and skill on the field, and I just do my part every game," McKinney said.

Lake Region's McKinney draws motivation from father

McKinney prides himself in being a Swiss-army-knife type of player because of his father's death when he was a freshman at Lake Region.

"...It came from my daddy passing away. It just motivated myself to go strong for him," McKinney said.

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McKinney began pop warner football on the Lake Alfred Raiders. But he vividly remembers the conversations he had with his father, Jimmie Allen. While watching a live broadcast of an NFL or college game, Allen would always analyze the details of a player, whether it was that player's footwork or his work ethic, before relaying to McKinney how important those aspects of the game were.

Those were the opportunities McKinney lived for.

McKinney had the opportunity to hang with his father on weekends in order to be enlightened on the game. He took heed of the advice and used it for basketball and football. Thanks to a coach recommending that McKinney focus on football, he used his father's information, along with his God-given ability, to get that much better at his craft.

Locals knew about McKinney's talent, so he played right away on varsity his freshman year for Lake Region. But then his father died due to health complications, and McKinney used his father's untimely death as inspiration.

"He kind of just changed the whole way I live my life. I had to change because some of the stuff I did with him, I couldn't do anymore, so I just had to change and finally grow up," Mckinney said.

He matured at a rapid pace because of the fond memories. McKinney's father often told him he would make it. This was all the motivation McKinney needed to be the best player and student he could be.

Training went from three days a week to every day. But even at this point he was still playing as a defensive end.

It wasn't until his sophomore year when Lake Region went from Geoff Bangley — now a coach at Winter Haven — to Ryan Mills as the head coach. McKinney had the opportunity because he told Mills that he had experience as a tight end. The next thing you know, McKinney was thrown screen passes in practices, which started the process of McKinney being one of the best offensive talents in Polk County.

As a junior, he racked up 23 receptions for 323 yards and four touchdowns, which helped him make the all-county team.

In 2023, he has a more augmented skill set, with his best attribute being his route running. He also has the ability to get open and has good speed for a player who is 6-3, 205 pounds.

There are some colleges on his radar now, but his goal is to be the best in the county and have even more colleges interested in him. McKinney also values his schoolwork.

"He's bought into what we've asked and the program," Mills said. "He's been a key part of changing the culture and laying a foundation for this program to be more competitive and go and win games and I've watched him grow not only as a player, but as a person and mature and all the work that he's put in in the off-season back in January and the summer."

Lake Region (2-3) will play Winter Haven (2-3) 7:30 p.m. Thursday at home.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Region football's B.J. McKinney finds inspiration from late father