Nick Saban started the game with Terrion Arnold, a freshman, and Kool-Aid McKinstry, a sophomore, on defense. Khyree Jackson and Eli Ricks came in later in the game as part of a rotation. They saw most of what was going on.
Ricks hadn’t played since the Utah State game because he didn’t play against Texas the week before.
McKinstry not only got the ball today, but he also had a big impact on special teams, especially the punt return game. The man from Birmingham, Alabama, averaged 27 yards per punt return, which added up to 136 yards.
McKinstry played in all 15 of Alabama’s games as a freshman. He made 25 tackles, one sack, and one interception, and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team.
Also, McKinstry got the nickname at his marriage ceremony because of how strange he was when he was growing up near Birmingham, Alabama.
On the Alabama roster, Kool-Aid McKinstry’s real name was changed
His real name is Ga’Quincy McKinstry, but for the past few years, the Alabama Crimson Tide has called him Kool-Aid McKinstry. Ga’Quincy is still McKinstry’s formal first name, but he was given the nickname “Kool-Aid” because he was so strange.
Even the Crimson Tide’s sports information department calls him “Kool-Aid” on the team’s official roster and in his official profile, because the name is so deeply rooted in his past.
When he was in high school, McKinstry told his classmates how he got the name “McKinstry.” According to an article on AL.com, he said that his grandmother gave him that name because he was born smiling. The Kool-Aid cartoon character is always smiling, which goes without saying.
Since Ga’Quincy is McKinstry’s real first name, he could also use the cool abbreviation “GQ.” Even his name isn’t “Kool-Aid.” On Twitter, it’s “Koolaid Glizxzy.”
Kool-Aid was the Male Athlete of the Year in Birmingham
As a junior, McKinstry played defensive back for the Indians. AL.com says that he was named to the first team of Class 6A All-State and the second team of All-Birmingham.
He was also chosen as the 2019–2020 Male Athlete of the Year for Birmingham.
McKinstry and Kam Woods helped Pinson Valley have a 28-4 record in basketball during the 2020 season. He averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.7 assists per game and had 69 steals.
McKinstry was a five-star football prospect and played defensive back in college. During his junior year, he returned 12 kickoffs for 183 yards and picked off a pass on defense. He also caught 47 passes for 700 yards and 12 touchdowns.
McKinstry chooses the Crimson Tide over Auburn and LSU at his 2020 commitment ceremony
Alabama picked Ga’Quincy McKinstry, a five-star prospect from Pinson, Alabama’s Pinson Valley, as the best cornerback in the country in October 2020. He finally told everyone at a ceremony at his high school that he was going to Alabama instead of Auburn or LSU.
Alabama, Auburn, and LSU, which were McKinstry’s top three choices, all gave him the chance to play basketball there.
McKinstry talked to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports about his decision. He said that he looked up to former Alabama greats when he was young.
A second-year player for the Alabama Crimson Tide signed a deal with a drink company
Ga’Quincy McKinstry, a rookie defensive back for Alabama who goes by the name “Kool-Aid” and is listed as such on the team’s official roster, said on Twitter that he has teamed up with the famous drink company Kool-Aid.
McKinstry wasn’t the first Alabama football player to sign a contract with NIL. Malachi Moore, Chris Allen, Agiye Hall, and Henry To’o To’o all signed deals with PSD Underwear soon after the NIL law went into effect on July 1, 2021.
The most well-known player to take advantage of the new NIL chances was Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. ESPN was told by sources that the sophomore, who had never started before, had signed contracts worth more than $800,000.
Parents of Kool-Aid McKinstry: He announced his engagement with his mother
During his recruitment, the cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide always talked about how much his mother influenced his decision.
He wants his mother to know that she left him somewhere, so she won’t have to worry about him wherever he goes. He told 247 Sports that she will know he left with a great coach she trusts even if she hasn’t talked to him in three weeks.
This is probably the first thing on his list. Even if his mother doesn’t hear from him for a while, she’ll know he’s okay because she left him with someone she can trust.
On the other hand, McKinstry’s father tries to show his son that there are men working in the world who think they should be where he is.
So, even though there was a coronavirus pandemic, if you lived nearby and looked out the window, you would have probably seen McKinstry moving around and working out in the field next to his house.
His father, Bo Nix, is the father of his high school coach, Patrick Nix
Patrick Nix used to coach McKinstry in high school. He is the father of former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, who played college football at Auburn University from 1992 to 1995 as a quarterback.
From 1999 to 2000, Nix was the head coach of the Henderson State University football team, which had an overall record of 3-19.
In his first year as a coach at Georgia Tech, Nix was in charge of recruiting and worked with the running backs.
In 2003, he was in charge of the running game and coached the quarterback. In 2004, he was promoted to offensive coordinator and kept his job as quarterback’s coach.
Who does Kevin McKinstry go out with?
People who like the football cornerback have been looking online for information about his relationships and girlfriends to find out if he is in a serious relationship.
McKinstry seems to be single as of 2022 based on his social media and interviews, where he has never talked about his partner or love life.
Even though he is active on Instagram, he only has 12 posts, and all of them are work-related pictures.
On the other hand, if we look closely at his personal life, we can see that most of his Twitter posts are pictures of him with his mother, but there is no evidence that he has a girlfriend.
The facts about Kool-past Aid’s relationships and dates
Since Kevin first became known to the public, the 21-year-old has never been linked to any women in dating rumors or in relationships.
He might have had a girlfriend in high school, but neither his Instagram posts nor those on other websites have given any details about their relationship.
Mckinstry doesn’t seem to have time for relationships because he seems to be too busy with his family and work.
McKinstry was chosen for the Freshman All-SEC Team after making 25 tackles, one sack, and one interception in his first season. One of McKinstry’s most important plays for the Crimson Tide was in the fourth overtime of the Iron Bowl during his freshman year.
McKinstry was also recruited by Nate Oats, the head coach of the Alabama basketball team, to play for the Crimson Tide. But he didn’t play in any of the team’s regular-season games last year, and it doesn’t look like McKinstry will start doing that any time soon.
McKinstry is focused on football and is likely to play a big role in Alabama’s secondary this season.
Before high school and during
McKinstry grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and went to high school in Pinson, Alabama, at Pinson Valley High School. As a senior, he was named Mr. Football in Alabama after breaking up 12 passes and intercepting two passes, which he both returned for touchdowns. On offense, he caught 45 passes for 706 yards and 11 touchdowns. McKinstry was a five-star recruit, and after looking at offers from Auburn and LSU, he chose to play college football at Alabama.
Going to college
McKinstry played in all 15 of Alabama’s games as a freshman. He made 25 tackles, one sack, and one interception, and was named to the SEC’s All-Freshman team.
Personal Information and High School
Most people think he is the best cornerback in the 2021 signing class. He has a five-star rating on the 247Composite and is ranked as the No. 23 overall player in the country, the No. 1 cornerback, and the top player in Alabama. He is also ranked as the No. 18 player nationally in the Top247 by 247Sports and the site’s top-ranked cornerback. Rivals.com ranks him 46th nationally, as the No. 2 cornerback,
When he was in high school, McKinstry told the story of how he got his name. AL.com said that he told them that his grandmother gave him the name “Smiley” because he was born smiling. Of course, the Kool-Aid cartoon character always has a smile on its face.
McKinstry’s real first name is Ga’Quincy, but he could also go by “GQ,” which is a classy way to shorten it. Even “Kool-Aid” isn’t the full name of his nickname: “Koolaid Glizxzy” is what it says on Twitter.
But hey, when you’re a five-star recruit, the No. 1 prep cornerback according to 247Sports.com, Mr. Football in Alabama, and a two-sport stud (he plans to play for the Tide men’s basketball team next season), you can go by whatever name you want.