Alabama's Ga'Quincy McKinstry presented award by Rob Gronkowski
Alabama freshman cornerback Ga’Quincy “Koolaid” McKinstry joined CBS This Morning and got a surprise call from Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski. On a split screen, Gronkowski informed McKinstry that he won the USA Today Best Defensive Player award, in addition to being named Male Athlete of the Year.
“I just wanted to have the honor to congratulate [McKinstry] on being the top male athlete out there in high school and just congratulate him on all his hard work and dedication that he has provided,” Gronkowski said in the video.
Two-sport superstar Ga’Quincy McKinstry
Prior to landing in Tuscaloosa, McKinstry was a five-star recruit and the nation’s No. 1 cornerback in the class of 2021. He was a two-sport star at Pinson Valley High School in Alabama. He committed to Alabama on Oct. 25, 2020, after reaching an agreement to play football and basketball for the Crimson Tide.
“I’m just looking forward to helping the team,” McKinstry said when asked about his two-sport status. “On the basketball side as well, I just want to do what I can do to help the team.”
The 6-foot-1 point guard did not play basketball during his senior season of high school, opting instead to enroll early at Alabama. He began training with football and basketball during the spring semester but did not suit up for the basketball team on its Sweet 16 run.
He quickly took center stage on the football field, showing off his skills during the spring game in front of nearly 50,000 Alabama fans.
McKinstry is the first ever recipient of the USA Today HSSA Male Athlete of the Year award. But, as the CBS panel joked, he seemed more impressed by who presented the award to him.
“This means a lot to me,” McKinstry said. “I use the Buccaneers all the time on Madden. I use [Gronkowski] a lot when I go trey formation on the corner route.”
The USA Today HSSA Awards Show
Gronkowski, along with former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, hosted the 2021 USA Today High School Sports Awards Show, which streams Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on YouTube and most smart televisions. The program will also feature special appearances by DJ Khaled and Aaron Rodgers, among others.
This event is the culmination of months of voting and several local award shows which aimed to highlight high school athletics more than ever before. More than 60,000 athletes from all 50 states have been involved in the process across 25 different sports.
Image courtesy of Tibrina Hobson/FilmMagic