Bryant McKinnie
 | |||||||||
| Minnesota Vikings | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | September 23, 1979 Woodbury, New Jersey | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | University of Miami | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2002 / round: 1 / pick: 7 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2010 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Bryant McKinnie (born September 23, 1979[1]) is an American football offensive tackle currently playing for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.
College career
After prep football at Woodbury High School in Woodbury, NJ, McKinnie played for two years at Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. There, he gained 70 pounds and converted from his high school position as defensive lineman to offensive tackle. After junior college, he received a scholarship with the University of Miami Hurricanes.
After redshirting in 1999, McKinnie started his junior and senior years at left tackle for UM. During his career he was an extraordinary blocking tackle, not allowing a sack on a quarterback his entire collegiate career. He even managed to prevent future NFL star Dwight Freeney from recording a sack for Syracuse. McKinnie was however penalized for holding Freeney on one play, a rare blemish on his memorable season. McKinnie was named as an All-American in 2000 and 2001. Also in 2001, McKinnie was the winner of the Outland Trophy, finished 8th overall in voting for the 2001 Heisman Trophy, was the CNN Sports Illustrated "Player of the Year" and a key part of the Hurricanes' 2001 National Championship. Also at UM, he was a roommate with current NFL tight end Jeremy Shockey.
In the September 2006 issue of FHM magazine, McKinnie was one of five University of Miami alumni prominently featured in an article titled: "University of Miami Hit Squad: The Hurricanes are Taking Over the NFL. Deal with it." In the article, McKinnie said: "If you put together a team made up of guys playing in the NFL who come from the University of Miami, we'd be playing in the Super Bowl this season. And I think we'd win."
Professional career
Minnesota Vikings
McKinnie was selected seventh overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2002 NFL Draft. McKinnie started every game for Minnesota from 2003–2007, and has a streak of 80 consecutive games started.
In February 2006, the Vikings were considering trading quarterback Daunte Culpepper and McKinnie told the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "We already made one mistake (trading former Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss). Don't do it twice (by trading Culpepper). If that's the case, let me go." Culpepper was traded shortly afterwards to the Miami Dolphins but McKinnie re-signed with the Vikings regardless.
Boat cruise scandal
In October 2005, McKinnie was charged with a misdemeanor for his involvement in the 2005 Minnesota Vikings boat cruise scandal. McKinnie allegedly picked up a naked woman, placing her on the bar and performed cunnilingus on her in front of the crew and other guests. Later that evening McKinnie and three other men were spotted sitting in deck chairs receiving fellatio from four women, which was also observed by the crew in a public area of the boat.[2]
On May 26, 2006, McKinnie pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and being a public nuisance on a watercraft in connection with the Love Boat scandal. He agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and perform 48 hours of community service. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said, in addition to community service, he would participate in numerous service events this season. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said fines were likely, but he said McKinnie will not be suspended.
On September 9, 2006, the NFL announced that it would fine McKinnie and fellow Viking Fred Smoot one game check for the incident. For McKinnie, the fine will amount to approximately $41,000 and should bring the matter to complete resolution. A day after the fine was levied, McKinnie was given a raise and a seven year extension of his contract worth $48 million.
2009 Pro Bowl incident
McKinnie was selected to his first NFL Pro Bowl game in during the 2009 season, but before the event it was announced that he would not play in the game. The league said they had kicked him off his Pro Bowl squad for for skipping most of the team practices and obligations. He had previously told NFC offensive line coach Hudson Houck that he was ill. Houck told reporters, "he said Tuesday that he had the flu. Maybe it was the flu." According to McKinnie's Twitter account, bigmacvikings, three days before the Pro Bowl, McKinnie told followers "on my way 2 Mansion," referencing the Mansion Miami nightclub in his hometown. The next night, he wrote "leaving the beach headed 2 KOD's". KOD's meaning the King of Diamonds gentlemen's club. He had unexcused absences these two days in a row. When made aware of these Twitter updates, Houck was surprised. "Really? Well, this really is kind of a unique situation."[3] Bryant told reporters that due to injuries in his feet and left ankle he had decided he didn't want to play.[4] He said he called his agent and told him he was going to withdraw, but this was improperly communicated. Several weeks later has was ordered by the league to reimburse the NFL $4,285 for expenses in Miami that week. He also forfeited his $22,500 game check.[5]
Community service
On June 8, 2008 the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation welcomed Bryant McKinnie as their newest ambassador to the foundation. The foundation was inspired and established by Dr. Nelson Mandela over a decade ago with the help of some of the world's most famous athletes, among them Dan Marino, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Nadia Comaneci, & Gale Sayers.
During the weekend of May 17 in Miami, McKinnie hosted the Laureus Foundation’s Third Annual Celebrity Fundraiser along with NFL Hall of Famer Marcus Allen and Olympic Track and Field Gold Medalist Edwin Moses. More than thirty greats of golf, tennis, football, hockey, and the Olympics joined McKinnie for the fundraiser which, along with the foundation’s golf and tennis invitational, raised more than $150,000 to support the formation of CampInteractive’s South Florida chapter benefitting at-risk teens.
References
- ^ Bryant McKinnie player profile, Fox Sports, accessed April 21, 2007.
- ^ Baenen, Jeff. "Culpepper, three other Vikings charged in boat-party scandal". usatoday.com. Retrieved 2005-12-15.
- ^ "The Glaring Undertones Of Bryant McKinnie's Pro Bowl Absence".
- ^ "McKinnie tossed for missing practice".
- ^ "Bryant McKinnie Had No Business Being in Pro Bowl".