How Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry got his nickname
Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry is one of the top prospects available at his position in the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit, which begins Thursday.
He also has a unique nickname.
McKinstry was a three-year starter at Alabama, and his real first name is Ga'Quincy. He said his nickname came from his grandmother "one minute after birth."
"When I came home, I was smiling," he said at the NFL combine Feb. 29 in Indianapolis. "She said I had the Kool-Aid smile."
He is from Birmingham, Alabama, and listed at 6 feet 1 and 195 pounds.
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McKinstry, who visited the Detroit Lions' facility in late March and had a formal meeting with the Lions at the NFL combine, is projected as a top-40 pick and heavily mocked to the Lions by experts.
He could interest the Lions late in the first round, as they own the 29th overall pick Thursday night. Coach Dan Campbell has said the team probably will look to fill their need at cornerback, after they released starter Cam Sutton due to his legal problems.
At Alabama, McKinstry made life difficult on opposing receivers. He allowed a 57.9 passer rating against in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus, and was targeted just 39 times in 2023.
McKinstry played primarily as an outside cornerback in college, opposite fellow potential first-round pick Terrion Arnold, in one of college football's best secondaries.
"He’s a fantastic athlete and a freak of nature," McKinstry told reporters at the combine. "Me, I’m more of a guy who has great IQ and a real football player. I understand the game."
McKinstry did not work out at the combine because of a Jones fracture in his foot, but answered questions about his speed by running a reported 4.47-second 40-yard dash at Alabama's pro day — days before he was expected to undergo surgery for the injury.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes attended Alabama's pro day.
"I didn't get a chance to see an Alabama game (in person) this past year," Holmes said. "They had a lot of prospects, obviously, so that's why I made the decision to go to Alabama (for pro day)."
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This year's draft is considered deep at cornerback with Arnold and Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell expected to be the first two corners off the board.
McKinstry, who finished his college career with two interceptions, is in the next tier of cornerbacks along with players like Iowa's Cooper DeJean, Clemson's Nate Wiggins and Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw.
The Lions traded for Carlton Davis and signed Amik Robertson in free agency, but released Sutton after he was accused of domestic violence. The team also re-signed Emmanuel Moseley, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, and Kindle Vildor, who finished last season as a starter.
"The biggest improvement I’d say I’m looking at is just being more consistent," McKinstry said at the combine. "Being consistent in every thing I do, whether that’s a practice, a game, or a walk-through rep. It’s about being consistent and treating every rep, every walk-through, every practice like it’s the last play of the Super Bowl."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How Kool-Aid McKinstry of Alabama got his nickname