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Jerick McKinnon
RB
#28
Experience: 5 years
Height: 5-9
Age: 26
Weight: 205 lbs
College: Georgia Southern
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Biography
Goldmine
- While at Sprayberry High, McKinnon’s head coach Billy Shackelford showed confidence in him, playing him all over the field at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and defensive back. Shackelford urged schools to recruit McKinnon and proclaimed that he had zero red flags as a prospect, and would outwork any player on their current roster. Yet, despite a successful high school career, McKinnon was shunned by major schools like Illinois and Georgia Tech, who passed on him for taller or heavier prospects. Later, despite an extremely successful career at Georgia Southern, McKinnon’s draft projection stated that he was a ‘jack of all trades, but a master of none.’ For McKinnon, the comments just served as additional motivation. “That kind of rubbed me the wrong way,” he said. “I’ve got it as the screensaver on my phone. I look at it every day. It fuels me.” Three years into his NFL career, McKinnon played in his hometown of Atlanta for the first time. For his homecoming,McKinnon made sure that Coach Shackleford, the man who always believed in him, had prime seats for the game.
- McKinnon and his new teammate Matt Breida were an integral part in the history of Georgia Southern football. The Eagles program was a FCS school for the majority of its existence. It wasn’t until the success of the team with McKinnon at virtually every position, which led to the program officially moved to FBS play following his senior season in 2013. “Those two guys were very important in our transition from FCS to FBS and showed that Georgia Southern did belong in Division I football,” said Georgia Southern head coach Chad Lunsford.