Kenny McKinley: Inside the Shocking Death of Denver Broncos WR
Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead in his Centennial, Colorado home Monday afternoon.
McKinley was a practice squad receiver for the Broncos, a second-year player out of South Carolina.
According to various reports, police believe McKinley committed suicide. Here's what we know so far.
What Happened?
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According to various reports, the Arapahoe County Sheriff was called to McKinley's home in Centennial, Colorado, just a half hour from Denver, to investigate a possible shooting.
When they arrived, they found McKinley's body in the second-floor master bedroom, according to ESPN.com. According to the same ESPN report, the Sheriff was called by a female friend of McKinley's, who had returned from running errands with his young son.
Cause Of Death
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According to various reports, McKinley was killed by a gunshot wound. The Sheriff believes that the wound was self-inflicted, although he declined to comment on whether a suicide note was found, according to the AP report.
""It's still part of our investigation and probably nothing we'll talk about right now," he said. It is also unclear at this time what would have caused McKinley to take his own life.
Those He Left Behind
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McKinley was currently unmarried, although he does have a young son who lives with him.
Before It Happened
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According to the Denver Post, McKinley flew to South Carolina to watch his alma mater play Georgia the weekend of September 11.
While he was there, he talked to his former head coach Steve Spurrier, and visited with family and friends in the Atlanta area. He flew back to Denver with his son on Sunday, according to his agent, Andrew Bondarowicz.
Initial Reaction: Broncos Players
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The initial reaction amongst Broncos players has been shock. According to the Denver Post article, many of McKinley's current and former teammates, aren't ready to talk about their loss yet.
"It's too fresh. I haven't gotten my mind around it yet," cornerback Champ Bailey said.
"He was one of the funniest guys I knew," former Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley said, according to the Denver Post. "Everything he said and everything he did was funny. That was his personality — he was always happy. A lot of people say that about people that passed, but that's the truth. He was always a happy, funny guy. That's what makes this so devastating."
Head coach Josh McDaniels and owner Pat Bowlen both released statements sending their deepest condolences to McKinley's family, and McDaniels has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, according to ESPN.com.
Initial Reactions: His Agent
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According to the Denver Post article, McKinley's agent, Andrew Bondarowicz said that McKinley "had a big heart, and a love for life. It's just very shocking."
Bondarowicz also talked to ESPN.com's Bill Williamson, and told him he'd seen no outward signs of despair from the second-year wideout.
"Kenny was a pretty easy-going guy," Bondarowicz said in his interview with Williamson. "I do know that being on the injured reserve was hard on him and it weighed on him ... but there was nothing to suggest anything like this. It's a shock that caught us by surprise."
Initial Reactions: His Alma Mater
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The most tangible pain was seen during the Gamecocks' Monday practice, when players were told. According to ESPN.com, numerous players who typically jogged off the field upbeat trudged off the practice field with their heads down.
South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier gave an interview to The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina Monday about his thoughts on the loss.
"I saw him here. He came to the Georgia game. He seemed in good spirits," Spurrier said, "He had a great smile, like he always had. I don't understand it, if it happened the way they say. It's hard to comprehend. Kenny was one of my favorite all-time players. He was one of them. He was a wonderful guy. It's hard to figure out how, or why, this happened."
More Tragedy For The Broncos
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This isn't the first time the Broncos have dealt with tragedy in recent years. In 2007, the team lost cornerback Darrent Williams to a drive-by shooting on New Year's Day, while backup running back Damien Nash collapsed during a pickup basketball game three months later.
In fact, according to numerous reports, many Broncos were at a charity event in Williams' honor when they were informed of McKinley's death.
McKinley's College Career
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When he graduated from South Carolina in 2009, McKinley was the most proficient wideout in Gamecocks history. He still holds the team's record for catches (207) and yards (2,781). He was a fifth round pick of the Broncos in the 2009 NFL Draft.
McKinley's Professional Career
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McKinley's short NFL career failed to live up to his college success. He played in just 8 games his rookie year, primarily as a special teams player. He went on injured reserve in the second to last game of the 2009-10 season, when he hurt his knee.
He came back for training camp this season, but hurt himself again to wind up on the IR once more. According the the Denver Post, the second trip to injured reserve was incredibly hard on him. But there was little indication that anything was seriously wrong with McKinley's psyche.
Regardless of what is learned of McKinley's last days in the weeks to come, this is a terrible tragedy. He will be missed.
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