Kenny McKinley, Hall of Famer: After the tears, USC shows love
In June, when Ken McKinley learned his son would be inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame, he pulled his car over to the side of the road and cried.
On Thursday evening, when he accepts that induction on behalf of Kenny McKinley during a ceremony at The Zone at Williams-Brice Stadium, he might cry again, but he’ll also be very proud because the school and team that his son loved so much is loving him back.
Kenny McKinley was a king in Columbia from 2005 though 2008, a zip-quick wide receiver with a smile wider than his waist. He charmed coach Steve Spurrier like few other players have, and he set the school’s career records in catches (207), receiving yards (2,782) and consecutive games with a catch (43) along the way.
“Kenny was one of my favorite players of all time,” Spurrier said Wednesday. “He really was. Man, he could play. He could catch. He was tough, courageous, really an outstanding player. We all loved him, and he was tough, never complained about anything.”
That’s one of the reasons Spurrier was so shocked on Sept. 20, 2010, when he learned McKinley, 23 and a member of the Denver Broncos at the time, had died earlier that day in Colorado of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“It was really, really sad the way his life ended,” Spurrier said.
The McKinleys will try to make Thursday night’s ceremony a happy occasion, though. Ken McKinley will thank the people he believes his son would have thanked – Spurrier and wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. and Sidney Rice and Blake Mitchell and more – as Kenny and seven others are inducted by the University of South Carolina Association of Lettermen.
“We are just honored,” Ken McKinley said. “Not only was he a great athlete, but he was an excellent son and a great human being. We really miss him, but the Gamecock family always makes us feel so warm. It’s just a privilege.”
Kenny’s mother and sisters, as well as 6-year-old son Keon McKinley, will be at the induction ceremony. Keon is a first-grader in Columbia and the quarterback on his pee-wee football team.
“Oh man, let me tell you this, Keon is the spitting image of his dad in all areas,” Ken McKinley said. “He’s just like his dad. He’s an athlete. He’s a smart kid. You will love him, man. He’s always smiling. He always asks about his dad. There are pictures all around our house, and Keon will say, ‘That’s me and granddaddy,’ and I will say, ‘No Keon, that’s me and your dad.’”
The last time Keon was at granddaddy’s house, they pulled out a tape of Kenny McKinley’s highlight reel at South Cobb High.
“He loved it,” Ken McKinley said. “He said, ‘Granddaddy, play it again.’ He was calling his grandmomma over to come watch it.”
It’s tough to be sad in moments like that.
Terrence Campbell – a South Cobb graduate, a South Carolina offensive lineman from 2006-2010 and McKinley’s closest friend on the team – was “overjoyed” to learn of McKinley’s pending induction.
“More than happy,” Campbell said. “I think about Kenny every day. Any time I see the number 11, anytime I see 11 o’clock or the 11th date, I always shout him out. There is no day that goes by that I don’t think about him. It’s a huge blessing to still have his name around and associated with USC. That’s a huge thing.”
Kenny McKinley’s name still can be found on the façade of Williams-Brice Stadium to commemorate his status as the school’s all-time leading receiver, but his father knows it will come down if that record is broken. Thursday’s recognition can never be taken away.
“If his name ends up coming off the stadium, guess what? He’s in the Hall of Fame, and that’s forever,” Ken McKinley said. “It’s really special, and we’re just glad to be a part of it. It makes you realize, life can be short and you want to make the best of it while you are here and I really believe that he took advantage of it while he was here.”
One of the last days Ken and Kenny McKinley spent together was Sept. 11, 2010, on the field at Williams-Brice Stadium as the Gamecocks beat Georgia 17-6. When Kenny’s presence was announced, the crowd erupted.
“After the game, he said, ‘Dad, I think they still like me here.’ I said, ‘Son, they are always going to like you,’” Ken McKinley said. “When we found out about the Hall of Fame, that let us know that not only does Carolina like him, they really love him.”
And they always will.
This story was originally published September 9, 2015 at 8:56 PM with the headline "Kenny McKinley, Hall of Famer: After the tears, USC shows love."