Kool-Aid McKinstry
American football player (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry (born September 30, 2002) is an American professional football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was named the 2021 USA Today High School Football Defensive Player of the Year before playing college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was named an All-American in 2023.
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
McKinstry with Alabama in 2021 | |||||||||
| No. 1 – New Orleans Saints | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | September 30, 2002 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 199 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Pinson Valley (Pinson, Alabama) | ||||||||
| College | Alabama (2021–2023) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2024: 2nd round, 41st overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||
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Early life
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.[4]
College career
McKinstry played college football at Alabama from 2021 to 2023.[5] McKinstry played in every game, and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team, making 25 tackles with a sack and one interception.[6][7] He led the SEC in passes defended in the 2022 season with 15.[8] He was named as a first team All-American by the Associated Press for the 2023 season.[9] He declared for the 2024 NFL draft following the 2023 season in which he was named first-team All-American.[10]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄2 in (1.82 m) | 199 lb (90 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 8+1⁄2 in (0.22 m) | 6 ft 3+7⁄8 in (1.93 m) | 4.47 s | 1.44 s | 2.72 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) | |||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
On March 1, 2024, it was revealed that McKinstry was diagnosed with a fracture in his right foot, preventing him from taking part at the Combine, but he later stated that he would still participate in the Pro Day activities.[13] McKinstry was selected in the second round by the New Orleans Saints with the 41st pick in the 2024 NFL draft.[14]
In Week 5 of the 2025 season, McKinstry had four tackles, three passes defensed and two interceptions in a 26-14 win over the New York Giants, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week.[15]
NFL career statistics
Personal life
McKinstry was nicknamed "Kool-Aid" by his grandmother as a baby because his smile reminded her of the Kool-Aid Man.[16] He signed a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with Kool-Aid as a freshman at Alabama.[17]