Jerick Deshun McKinnon (born May 3, 1992), nicknamed Jet, is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
for the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hin ...
and was drafted by the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in the third round of the
2014 NFL Draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. He has also played for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
.
High school career
McKinnon attended
Sprayberry High School
Sprayberry High School is a public high school located in northeastern Cobb County in Marietta, Georgia, United States, a north-northwestern suburb of metro Atlanta. It is a comprehensive senior high school (grades 9–12) with approximately 1700 ...
in
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...
, where he played football and ran track. In
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, he played
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
,
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
and
wide receiver. He was an
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
first-team all-state pick at quarterback. He was also tabbed first-team all-state by the Georgia Sports Writers Association as an athlete and named Region VII AAAA Player of the Year. He lettered four times on the gridiron for the Yellow Jackets, starting in each of his final three seasons. As a junior, he was a member of the team that won the region championship playing as a wide receiver en route to earning MVP accolades for the National Underclassmen Ultimate 100. He passed for 1,500 yards and rushed for 1,300 more as a senior, picking up Cobb County Touchdown Club Quarterback of the Year honors in 2009.
Away from the gridiron, McKinnon lettered twice for the Yellow Jackets
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
team, competing in the
100-meter dash
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
(captured the Region VII-AAAA title with a time of 11.04 seconds as a junior),
200-meter dash
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
(placed seventh at the Region VII-AAAA with a time 22.61 seconds) and in the
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
(personal-best leap of 21'8" or 6.63 meters) for the outdoor squad. He was also a member of the 4 × 100 m relay team (42.33 as a senior) and was timed at 4.46 in the
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
according to Rivals.com.
Regarded as a three-star recruit by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
, McKinnon committed to Georgia Southern on February 3, 2010. He chose the Eagles over scholarship offers from the
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
and the
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
.
College career
McKinnon attended
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
from 2010 to 2013.
McKinnon was originally recruited as a quarterback, handling special team chores before being used as a
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and
slotback
Slotback, sometimes referred to as an A-back or slot receiver, is a position in gridiron football. The "slot" is the area between the last offensive lineman on either side of the center and the wide receiver on that side. A player who lines up ...
during the 2010 campaign. He played in GSU's triple-option attack from the quarterbacking position through his junior season but was utilized more often as a tailback during his senior season. McKinnon, a four-year letter winner, finished his career third all-time on the Georgia Southern list with 3,899 rushing yards and 42
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...
(4,138 all-purpose), behind only
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
, who had 6,559 yards (NCAA Division I all-time leading rusher from 1998 to 2001) and Jermaine Austin, who posted 5,411 from 2002 to 2005. He also caught 10 passes for 165 yards and a score, completed 32-of-81 passes (39.50%) for 929 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions, gained 74 yards on four kickoff returns and also recorded five tackles (four solos) with a pair of pass deflections, two interceptions, and two quarterback pressures.
Freshman season (2010)
In his first season in Statesboro, McKinnon chose to wear number 15. He played in 10 games for the Eagles, rushing for 430 yards on 109 attempts and 3 touchdowns. He picked up his first career score against
Savannah State
)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public historically black university
, parent = University System of Georgia
, academic_affiliation = Space-grant
, endowment ...
, taking over the quarterback duties in the fourth quarter. He briefly owned the record for most rushing attempts in a single game after rushing for a top single-game mark of 182 yards on 35 attempts at
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
, 84 of those yards came in the second quarter as he helped lead the Eagles to their first shutout of an opponent since 2003. In the
GSU game, McKinnon assumed signal calling after Jaybo Shaw was injured early in the game. He made his first career start against
Samford the following week, and had a one-yard touchdown run for his first score against the Bulldogs. He directed the Eagles to their third-highest rushing total of the year with 323 yards against
South Carolina State
South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a me ...
.
Sophomore season (2011)
McKinnon played in 13 games with seven starts as a sophomore. He was the only player on the Eagles roster to throw, run and catch a touchdown pass during the season. He finished the season with 705 all-purpose yards and nine combined touchdowns (seven rushing, one receiving, and one passing). In the season opener at
Samford on September 3, he rushed 12 times for 80 yards and scored two touchdowns. He rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in the home opener against Tusculum on September 10. Against
Western Carolina
Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.
The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded t ...
in week 4, he totaled a season-high 114 rushing yards and two scores on 10 carries and completed two passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. He compiled 98 rushing yards on just nine carries against
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
. He played three playoff games on defense and totaled four tackles and two pass breakups, while also intercepting two passes in the
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
FCS Playoff game. In that game, he also returned one kickoff for 41 yards.
Junior season (2012)
In 2012, McKinnon joined Georgia Southern's upper echelon of running backs with 1,817 rushing yards on 269 attempts, third-highest single-season total after Adrian Peterson's record 1,932 yards in 1998 and Jayson Foster in second with 1,844 in 2007. For his season efforts, he earned first-team
All-American honors at quarterback from the College Sports Journal and
College Sporting News and was awarded the Iron Works Dedication Trophy (awarded to the team's most outstanding lifter). McKinnon's team-best 129.8 rushing yards per game average ranked seventh nationally and was 8th on Georgia Southern's single-season list, most by a quarterback since
Jayson Foster
Jayson D. Foster (born July 22, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Georgia Southern and was the 2007 Walter Payton Award winne ...
in 2007 (167.6), while his 20 rushing touchdowns in the season ranked seventh on the single-season list. He led the Eagles in rushing six times, with significant influence on Georgia Southern's ninth NCAA rushing title (399.4 ypg), best across all divisions. He was also a factor in Eagles claiming four of the top seven NCAA Division I single-game rushing totals. Of Georgia Southern's 63 offensive plays of 25 yards or longer in 2012, McKinnon had a hand in 30 (17 rushing plays, seven rushing touchdowns).
In the season opener against
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, he rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown playing at both B-back and quarterback. On December 2, he had top season marks for rushing attempts with 34 and rushing yards with 316 against
Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas, also known as the Little Rock metro, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of ...
in a playoff game (12–1), to surpass the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback, previously held by Jayson Foster. McKinnon's 316-yard effort was third-best in the FCS, eighth-best in Division I and just 17 yards shy of tying the Georgia Southern single-game record held by
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
, who had 333 against
UMass back in 1999. His longest runs were of 57, 52 and 51 yards; the 57-yarder romp ended the Eagles’ three-play scoring drive for the first touchdown of the game, while the 51-yarder brought Georgia Southern inside the 10 where he punched it in for his second rushing touchdown of the day. He was also credited with 79 passing yards against the Bears, including a 47-yard completion to Zach Walker and a 32-yard touchdown reception by Darreion Robinson. He gained 171 yards and scored a season-best four rushing touchdown against
Old Dominion
Old Dominion most commonly refers to:
*The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia
** Colony of Virginia
*Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia
**Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...
with three of them coming in the fourth quarter. After flipping roles with Darreion Robinson, he caught a 15-yard pass to convert on 3rd-and-6 in ODU territory. Against
Furman, he flirted with the 200-yard rushing yards total, but finished with 198 and three rushing touchdowns. Against
Howard
Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...
, he accounted for five touchdowns, three rushing and two pass completions for touchdowns. He sprinted for a season-long rush of 87 yards for a touchdown in only 12 seconds. McKinnon's 87-yard scoring play against the Bisons ranks as the third-longest in Georgia Southern history behind only Mark Myer's 92-yard score run against Appalachian State in 2002 and Adrian Peterson's 91-yard score against East Tennessee State in 1998. He had two passing touchdowns at
Western Carolina
Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.
The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded t ...
. He hooked up with Zack Walker for one of the shortest touchdown drives of the year, a career-long 75-yard pass, the longest pass completion of the 2012 season, and 11th-longest in Georgia Southern history, against
Furman in a mere 10 seconds. In that game, he threw for a team season and career-best 119 yards against the Paladins. In a victory over
Samford, he took over at quarterback and led the Eagles in rushing with 162 yards, averaging 12.5 yards per carry.
He rushed for three touchdowns and a game-ending two-point conversion in a triple-overtime thriller at
Chattanooga
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
for a total of 20 points. He eluded three Moc defenders rolling left and dashing into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown and followed that play with the two-point conversion. His total of 141 rushing yards against the Mocs started his streak of seven-straight games with 100 or more rushing yards. Against the Mocs, went 3-for-5 passing for 55 yards with a long throw of 40 to Zach Walker for an acrobatic catch that was featured on ESPN
SportsCenter
''SportsCenter'' (SC) is a daily sports news television show, television program that serves as the flagship program and brand of United States, American cable television, cable and satellite television television network, network ESPN. The show ...
’s Top 10 plays of the day.
That second-quarter pass completion put the Eagles in the red zone, making the way for McKinnon's second score of the night. Following his junior season, McKinnon was recognized as a National Strength and Conditioning (NSCA) All-American Strength and earned the Conditioning Athlete of the Year Award. He finished his junior season eighth on the Georgia Southern career list (2,849 yards), just behind
Tracy Ham
Tracy Ham (born January 5, 1964) is an American former professional football quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Edmonton Eskimos, Toronto Argonauts, Baltimore Stallions, and Montreal Alouettes. He was known for ...
’s 3,212 yards (total includes regular-season games only).
Senior season (2013)
As a senior in 2013, McKinnon's final year, he was Georgia Southern’s leading rusher with his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,050 yards (6.5 avg) and 12 rushing touchdowns, as well as four passing scores. He was selected for the initial watch list for the Walter Payton Award by The Sports Network and was named team MVP for the second straight year after earning the honors for the first time as a junior at the team's annual banquet. On November 23, he rushed for 125 yards on nine carries for a 13.9 average and scored the game-winning touchdown against
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, which was Georgia Southern’s first win ever over a
BCS team. He had a season-long run with a rush of 66 yards against the Gators, which was the longest recorded against the Gators in 2013. In week 1 against
Savannah State
)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public historically black university
, parent = University System of Georgia
, academic_affiliation = Space-grant
, endowment ...
, he scored the first touchdown of the Eagles’ 2013 season with a 66-yard run and threw for a touchdown with an eight-yard toss to Devin Scott against the Tigers, finishing the game with 107 rushing yards and 2 passes completed. He tied a career-best with two passing touchdowns against
St. Francis, hitting Kentrellis Showers for a 35-yard touchdown pass and a season-long 50-yard score to Montay Crockett. He eclipsed the 3,000-yard rushing mark with 114 yards against
Wofford with six double-digit carries and added two touchdowns in that game. Against
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
, he had two rushing touchdowns and 198 yards on the ground, and also picked up a reception and threw for the two-point conversion against the Bulldogs in that win. He directed the Eagles offense to majority of the 576 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in the season opener as the highest single-game totals in NCAA Division I in 2013. McKinnon was involved in 12 of the Eagles’ longest plays of 2013, including the top three (two rushes of 66 yards, one 63-yard touchdown rush) and scored the first touchdown in six of the 10 games in which he played. He was honored as the Iron Works Dedication Award winner for the third time and second-straight year. Following his senior season, he was invited to the prestigious
Reese's Senior Bowl.
Professional career
McKinnon was invited to the
2014 NFL Scouting Combine, where he improved his stock by running unofficial times of 4.38 and 4.35 in the
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
(4.41 official, 2nd fastest among RBs) while leading all running backs in
bench press
The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectorali ...
reps with 32. He also showcased his athletic ability with a
broad jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
of 11'0" (3.35 m) and a
vertical leap
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...
of 40.5" (1.03 m). Only four players at the NFL Combine topped McKinnon's 40.5-inch vertical jump, while his
three-cone drill
The three-cone drill, 3-cone drill or L-drill is a test performed by American football players. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts. It is most commonly seen at the NFL Combine in p ...
mark of 6.83 seconds and
short-shuttle
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Fo ...
clocking of 4.12 seconds were also some of the best marks in the running back group. McKinnon's 32 bench press reps are the most among current NFL running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine.
McKinnon was drafted in the 3rd round (96th overall) by the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in the
2014 NFL Draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. He was the seventh running back to be selected that year. The pick was obtained as part of the
Percy Harvin
William Percival Harvin III (born May 28, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida, when the Gators won the BCS National Championship in 2006 and 2008, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings o ...
trade to Seattle in 2013.
Minnesota Vikings
2014 season: Rookie year
![Jerick_McKinnon_2014_MV_TC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Jerick_McKinnon_2014_MV_TC.jpg)
As a rookie, McKinnon led the Vikings with a 4.8 yard per carry average and ranked second on the team in rushing yards despite only playing in 11 games with six starts. In the season opener against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
on September 7, he caught his first NFL pass from
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots an ...
, which went for one yard. He recorded a pair of 100-yard games on the season, with the first of them coming in Week 4 against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
with 135 yards rushing on 18 carries with a long of 55, which was the fifth-longest run by a rookie running back in the NFL in 2014. He became the first Vikings rookie to break the 100-yard mark since
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
did it back in 2007. The second of them came against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
' No. 1-ranked rush defense in Week 7 (103 yards on 19 attempts). He started his first career game against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in Week 6, joining fellow rookie quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater
Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL).
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he graduated from Miami Northwestern high school. Br ...
as the first quarterback/running back rookie starting tandem since 1961 for the Vikings when
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at ...
and
Tommy Mason
Thomas Cyril Mason (July 8, 1939 – January 22, 2015) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL).
College career
Mason played college football for Tulane University.
*1959: 10 Games – 81 carries for 336 yar ...
opened the Detroit game in 1961. He finished the game with 40 yards on 11 carries and 42 yards on 6 receptions. He missed the game against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
on November 30 and his promising rookie campaign ended when he was placed on injured reserve on December 6. Overall, McKinnon finished his rookie year with 538 rushing yards and 135 receiving yards.
2015 season
In 2015, McKinnon led the team for the second straight season in yards per carry with a 5.2 average and logged a career-high three total touchdowns. In the Vikings’ 38–17 win over the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
in Week 15, which was McKinnon's 25th game as a pro, he stepped in after
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
left the game due to an injury and responded with seven carries for ten yards and a career-high four receptions for 76 yards, including his first NFL touchdown on a 17-yard reception. McKinnon had his first career multi-touchdown game against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
the following week, rushing for a seven-yard touchdown and a career-long 68-yard touchdown to solidify a playoff-clinching win for the Vikings. In Week 17, he caught a team-leading 3 passes for 33 yards, had 4 rushes for 15 yards, recorded one special teams tackle and returned one kick for 24 yards to help the Vikings clinch the
NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough ri ...
title in the regular-season finale against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
on January 3, 2016. Overall, he finished the 2015 season with 271 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 173 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown. In the
Wild Card Round against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, he finished with seven rushing yards and had three receptions for 22 yards in a narrow 10–9 loss.
2016 season
![Jerick McKinnon 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Jerick_McKinnon_2016.jpg)
During Week 2,
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
tore the meniscus in his right knee in a ''Sunday Night Football'' game against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
in
U.S. Bank Stadium
U.S. Bank Stadium is an enclosed stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built on the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the indoor stadium opened in 2016 and is the home of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Footbal ...
, and after being placed on injured reserve, the Vikings announced McKinnon as the starter for the Week 3 game against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. Prior to the game, the team named
Matt Asiata the starter, but McKinnon ended up leading the rushing attack with 45 yards on 16 carries and a 2-point conversion. In the Vikings' 24–10 victory over the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in Week 4, McKinnon earned the starting nod for the first time in the season and rushed 18 times for 85 yards and a touchdown, helping the team rush for a season-high 104 yards.
Overall, in 15 games in the 2016 season, McKinnon finished with 539 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 43 receptions, 255 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
2017 season
McKinnon entered the 2017 season second on the depth chart behind rookie
Dalvin Cook
Dalvin James Cook (born August 10, 1995) is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State, where he finished his career as the school's all-time lea ...
. After Cook tore his ACL in a Week 4 14–7 loss against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, McKinnon remained second on the depth chart after being surpassed by
Latavius Murray
Latavius Rashard Murray (born January 18, 1990) is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCF Knights football, UCF and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in ...
. On October 9, against the Chicago Bears, he had a season-high 95 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 20–17 victory. On December 17, against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, McKinnon had seven receptions for 114 yards to go along with 24 rushing yards in the 34–7 victory. McKinnon finished the 2017 regular-season with a career-high 570 rushing yards and three touchdowns along with 51 receptions for 421 yards and two touchdowns.
The Vikings made the playoffs and earned a first-round bye with the #2-seed. In the
Divisional Round against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, McKinnon rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown while also catching three receptions for six yards in a
miraculous 29–24 victory. In the
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, he had 40 rushing yards to go along with 11 receptions for 86 yards in the 38–7 loss.
San Francisco 49ers
2018 season
On March 14, 2018, McKinnon signed a four-year, $30 million contract with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
.
On September 1, 2018, McKinnon tore his ACL during a team workout, prematurely ending his season. He was placed on injured reserve two days later.
2019 season
McKinnon suffered a setback from his knee surgery during training camp and was placed on season-ending injured reserve on August 31, 2019. Without McKinnon, the 49ers reached
Super Bowl LIV
Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conferenc ...
, but lost 31–20 to the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
.
2020 season
McKinnon made his return to the NFL in Week 1 of the 2020 season against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. He had three carries for 24 rushing yards to go along with three receptions for 20 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 24–20 loss. During Week 2 against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, McKinnon had a 55-yard run on a 3rd-and-31 situation. Overall, he finished the game with three attempts for 77 rushing yards (25.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown as the 49ers won 31–13. McKinnon scored a touchdown in the following two games to give him four consecutive games with a touchdown to start the season. Overall, McKinnon finished the 2020 season with 81 carries for 319 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 33 receptions for 253 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs
McKinnon signed a one-year contract with the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
on April 30, 2021. He was placed on injured reserve on November 30. He was activated on January 1, 2022. In the regular season-ending Week 18 game against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, McKinnon scored his first rushing touchdown with Kansas City. The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 28-24.
In the
Wild Card Round against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, McKinnon scored a receiving touchdown as part of a 142-scrimmage yard day in the 42–21 victory. He re-signed with the team on June 14, 2022.
In 2022, McKinnon set an NFL record with five consecutive games with receiving touchdowns, a feat never before accomplished by a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
.
Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon makes history vs. Broncos in Week 17
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NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
References
External links
Kansas City Chiefs bio
Georgia Southern Eagles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKinnon, Jerick
1992 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
American football running backs
Georgia Southern Eagles football players
Minnesota Vikings players
Kansas City Chiefs players
San Francisco 49ers players
Players of American football from Atlanta
Players of American football from Marietta, Georgia