Jerick McKinnon

At 31 years old, Jerick McKinnon has this physical status:

Jerick Deshun McKinnon (born May 3, 1992) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL).

He played college football at Georgia Southern and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

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High school career

McKinnon attended Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia, where he played football and ran track. He played quarterback, running back, and wide receiver in football. He was a quarterback for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first team all-state pick at quarterback. The Georgia Sports Writers Association also rated him as a first-team all-state and named Region VII AAAA Player of the Year. He appeared on the gridiron for the Yellow Jackets four times, beginning in each of his last three seasons. He was a member of the team that captured the area championship while still wearing wide receiver en route to receiving MVP honors for the National Underclassmen Ultimate 100 as a youth. As a senior, he ran for 1,500 yards and rushed for 1,300 more, winning the Cobb County Touchdown Club Quarterback of the Year awards in 2009.

McKinnon received two letters from the Yellow Jackets track & field team, who claimed the Region VII-AAAAAA championship in a time of 11.04 seconds as a junior), as well as the long jump (personal record leap of 21'8" or 6.63 meters) in the long jump. According to Rivals.com, 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.

McKinnon landed in Georgia Southern on February 3, 2010 after being regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. He preferred the Eagles over scholarship offers from the Air Force and the Navy, and the Navy chose him.

College career

McKinnon attended Georgia Southern University from 2010 to 2013.

McKinnon was first recruited as a quarterback and was assisting with special team duties before being used as a quarterback and slotback in the 2010 campaign. He was a quarterback in GSU's triple-option offense from the quarterback's position early in his junior season, but was more often as a tailback during his senior season. McKinnon, a four-year letter winner, spent his career on the Georgia Southern list with 3,899 passing yards and 42 touchdowns (4,138 all-purpose), behind only Adrian Peterson, who had 6,559 yards (NCAA Division III all-time leading rusher from 1998 to 2005), and Jermaine Austin, who had 5,411 from 2002 to 2005. With four kickoff returns and five interceptions, he finished 32-of-81 passes (39.50%) for 929 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions, as well as two quarterback pressures.

McKinnon opted for number 15 in his first season in Statesboro. He appeared in ten games for the Eagles, rushing for 430 yards on 109 attempts and three touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, he scored his first career against Savannah State, taking over quarterback duties. Since rushing for a single game record of 182 yards on 35 attempts at The Citadel, 84 percent of those yards came in the second quarter, when he led the Eagles to their first shutout since 2003. McKinnon assumed signal calling after Jaybo Shaw was ruled out early in the game. He made his first appearance against Samford the following week and had a one-yard touchdown run for his first score against the Bulldogs. With 323 yards against South Carolina State, he led the Eagles to their third-highest passing total of the year.

McKinnon made seven appearances in 13 games as a sophomore. He was the only Eagles player to throw, run, and pass 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). He rushed 12 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns in Samford's season-opening on September 3. In the home opener against Tusculum on September 10, he rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass. On 10 carries and two touchdowns against Western Carolina in week 4, he recorded a season-best 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns on ten carries and two touchdowns, as well as two passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. Against Presbyterian, he passed for 98 yards on nine carries. In the Maine FCS Playoff game, he played three games on defense with four tackles and two pass breakups, as well as intercepting two passes. He also returned one kickoff for 41 yards in the game.

McKinnon was the third most rushing yards in Georgia Southern's third-highest single-season total since Adrian Peterson's record 1,932 yards in 1998 and Jayson Foster in second with 1,844 in 2007. He received first-team All-American honors at quarterback from College Sports Journal and College Sporting News, as well as the Iron Works Dedication Trophy, which was awarded to the team's most outstanding lifter, for his season. McKinnon's team-best 129.8 rushing yards per game average ranked seventh nationally and eighth on Georgia Southern's single-season list, the most by a quarterback since Jayson Foster in 2007 (167.6), although his 20 rushing touchdowns in the season ranked ninth on the single-season chart. He led the Eagles in rushing six times, with a major role on Georgia Southern's ninth NCAA rushing title (399.4 ypg), which was the highest in both divisions. He was also a factor in the Eagles winning four of the top seven NCAA Division I single-game rush totals. McKinnon was involved in 30 (17 rushing plays, seven rushing touchdowns) in Georgia Southern's 63 offensive plays of 25 yards or more in 2012.

He rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville in the season's opener, as well as B-back and quarterback. With 316 against Central Arkansas in a playoff game (12–1) on December 2, he tied for rushing yards by a quarterback, a record held by Jayson Foster. McKinnon's 316-yard effort was third-best in Division I and just 17 yards shy of tying the Georgia Southern single-game record set by Adrian Peterson, who had 333 against UMass in 1999. The 57-yarder's longest runs were 51, 52, and 51 yards, snapping the Eagles' three-play scoring attempt for the first touchdown of the game, while the 51-yarder knocked Georgia Southern inside the ten yard yard for his second straight touchdown of the day. He was also credited with 79 passing yards against the Bears, including a 47-yard touchdown to Zach Walker and a 32-yard touchdown reception by Darlon Robinson. Against Old Dominion, he passed for 171 yards and scored a season-best four rushing touchdown, three of which occurred in the fourth quarter. He converted on 3rd-and-6 in ODU territory after flipping roles with Darreion Robinson. He began with the 200-yard rush yards against Furman but finished with 198 and three touchdowns. He had five touchdowns, three rushing, and two touchdown completions for touchdowns against Howard. In only 12 seconds, he sprinted for a touchdown in 87 yards for the first time in season. McKinnon's 87-yard scoring play against the Bisons ranks third in Georgia Southern history, behind only Mark Myer's 92-yard field run against Appalachian State in 2002 and Adrian Peterson's 91-yard score against East Tennessee State in 1998. At Western Carolina, he had two passing touchdowns. He hooked up with Zack Walker for one of the year's longest touchdown drives, dating back to the 2012 season's longest pass completion and 11th-longest in Georgia Southern history, in a matter of ten seconds. He threw for a team season and a career-best 119 yards against the Paladins in that game. He took over at quarterback and led the Eagles in rushing with 162 yards per carry in a victory over Samford, averaging 12.5 yards per carry. In a triple-overtime thriller at Chattanooga for a total of 20 points, he rushed for three touchdowns and a game-ending two-point conversion. For the game-winning touchdown and the game-winning play with the two-point conversion, he escaped three Moc defenders rolling left and crashing into the endzone, which was followed by another play. He finished his streak of seven-straight games with 100-or more rushing yards against the Mocs. With a long throw of 40 to Zach Walker for an acrobatic catch that was not on ESPN SportsCenter's Top ten plays of the day, the Mocs went 3-for-5 for 55 yards for 55 yards on the day. The Eagles were in the red zone after finishing in second place in the second quarter, prompting McKinnon's second game of the night. McKinnon was named National Strength and Conditioning Club (NSCA) All-American Strength and Conditioning Award recipient following his junior season, and he also received the Conditioning Athlete of the Year award. He finished eighth on the Georgia Southern career list (2,849 yards), just behind Tracy Ham's 3,212 yards (total excludes regular-season games).

McKinnon's second year as a senior in 2013, he was Georgia Southern's top rusher with 1,050 yards (6.5 avg) and 12 running touchdowns, as well as four passing touchdowns. He was named on the inaugural watch list for the second straight year after winning the honors for the second year as a junior at the team's annual banquet. He rushed for 125 yards on nine carries for a 13.9 average and scored the game-winning touchdown against Florida on November 23, Georgia Southern's first victory over a BCS team. He had a season-long streak against the Gators, which was the first recorded against the Gators in 2013. Devin Scott scored the Eagles' first touchdown of the season in week 1 against Savannah State on Saturday, completing the game with 107 yards and 2 passes completed. Kentrellis Showers was killed by two passing touchdowns against St. Francis, scoring Montay Crockett for a 35-yard touchdown pass and a season-long 50-yard field goal. With 114 yards against Wofford, he tied for the 3,000 yards against them and added two touchdowns. In that victory over The Citadel, he had two rushing touchdowns and 198 yards on the ground, as well as receiving a reception and threw for the Bulldogs' two-point conversion. He led the Eagles offense to the majority of the 576 yards and ten 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 games of 2013, including the top three (two rushes of 66 yards, one 63-yard touchdown rush), and he scored the first touchdown in six of the ten games in which he appeared. For the third time and second year in a row, he was named the Iron Works Dedication Award winner. He was accepted to the Reese Senior Bowl in Reese, Alabama, following his senior season.

Professional career

McKinnon was accepted into the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine, where he improved his stature by running unofficial times of 4.38 and 4.35 in the 40-yard dash (4.41 official, 2nd fastest among RBs), while leading all running backs in bench press reps with 32. With a wide jump of 11'0" (3.35 meters) and a vertical leap of 40.5" (1.03 m), he also demonstrated his athletic skills. Only four players at the NFL Combine dominated McKinnon's 40.5-inch vertical leap, though his three-cone drill mark of 6.83 seconds and short-shuttle clocking of 4.12 seconds were also some of the best marks in the running back group. McKinnon's 32 bench press reps rank highest among current NFL running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine.

In the 2014 NFL Draft, McKinnon was selected in the 3rd round (96th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. He was the seventh candidate to be selected that year. The pick was acquired in 2013 as part of the Percy Harvin trade to Seattle.

Despite playing in 11 games with six starts, McKinnon led the Vikings with a 4.8 percent average and ranked second on the team in rushing yards as a rookie. Matt Cassel caught his first NFL pass against the St. Louis Rams on September 7, which went for one yard. He had two 100-yard games on the season, the first of which came against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday with 135 yards on 18 carries for a long of 55 yards, the fifth longest run by a rookie running back in the NFL in 2014. He was the first Vikings rookie to reach the 100-yard mark since Adrian Peterson did it back in 2007. The second of them appeared in a contest against the Buffalo Bills' No. 2. In Week 7 (103 yards on 19 attempts), the highest rush defense in the country (ranked number one in Week 7). In Week 6, he started his career against the Detroit Lions, joining rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater as the first quarterback-running back rookie rookie starting tandem for the Vikings since 1961. He had 40 yards on 11 runs and 42 yards on 6 receptions, ending the game with 40 yards on 11 attempts and 42 yards on 6 receptions. On November 30, he missed the game against the Carolina Panthers on November 30 and his promising rookie season came to an end when he was placed on injured reserve on December 6. McKinnon's rookie year was a success with 538 passing yards and 135 receiving yards.

McKinnon led the team in yards per carry with a 5.2 average and a career-high three touchdowns in 2015. In the Vikings' 38–17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 15, McKinnon's 25th game as a pro, he came back from injury to lead the game and finished with seven carries for 76 yards, including his first NFL touchdown on a 17-yard reception. McKinnon played in his first multi-touchdown game against the New York Giants the following week, rushing for a seven-yard touchdown and a career-long 68-yard touchdown to win the Vikings in a playoff-clinching victory. He had 4 rushes for 15 yards, had one special teams tackle, and kicked one kick for 24 yards in Week 17, the Vikings clinched the NFC North championship against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. He finished the 2015 season with 271 passing yards, two running touchdowns, 173 receiving yards, and a touchdown. In a narrow 10–9 loss, he had seven rushing yards and three receptions for 22 yards in the Wild Card Round against the Seattle Seahawks.

In a Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers, Adrian Peterson tore the meniscus in his right knee, and after being placed on injured reserve, the Vikings named McKinnon as the starter for the Week 3 match against the Carolina Panthers. Matt Asiata was the starter in the game, but McKinnon came up with 45 yards on 16 carries and a 2-point conversion. McKinnon earned the starting nod in Week 4 for the first time on record and rushed 18 times for 85 yards and a touchdown, leading to the team's season-high 104 yards.

McKinnon finished with 539 passing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 43 interceptions, 255 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.

McKinnon came in second on the depth chart in 2017, behind rookie Dalvin Cook. After Cook tore his ACL in a Week 4 14–7 loss to the Detroit Lions, McKinnon remained second on the depth chart after being surpassed by Latavius Murray. In the 20–17 victory over the Chicago Bears, he had a season-high 95 passing yards and a running touchdown on October 9. McKinnon had seven receptions for 114 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 17, to go along with 24 rushing yards in the 34–7 victory. McKinnon finished the 2017 regular-season with 570 passing yards and three touchdowns, as well as 51 receptions for 421 yards and two touchdowns.

With the second-seed, the Vikings made the playoffs and earned a first-round bye. In the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, McKinnon rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown, while simultaneously receiving three receptions for six yards in a thrilling 29–24 victory. In the 38-7 loss, he had 40 passing yards to go along with 11 receptions for 86 yards.

McKinnon agreed to a four-year, $30 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers on March 14, 2018.

McKinnon tore his ACL during a team workout on September 1, 2018, putting him off his season early. Two days later, he was put on injured reserve.

McKinnon recovered from knee injury during training camp and was placed on a season-ending injured reserve on August 31, 2019. The 49ers made it to Super Bowl LIV without McKinnon, but the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the 49ers 31-20.

McKinnon made his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of the 2020 season. In the 24-20 loss, he had three carries for 24 rushing yards to go along with three receptions for 20 receiving yards and one touchdown. McKinnon had a 55-yard run against the New York Jets in Week 2 on a 3rd-and-31 situation. As the 49ers defeated 31-13, he ended the game with three attempts for 77 running yards (25.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown. McKinnon scored a touchdown in the first two games to give him four games with a touchdown to begin the season. Overall, McKinnon finished the 2020 season with 81 passes for 319 yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 33 receptions for 253 yards and one touchdown.

McKinnon agreed to a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs on April 30, 2021. On November 30, he was put on injured reserve. On January 1, 2022, he was activated. McKinnon scored his first rushing touchdown with Kansas City in the regular season's Week 18. The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 28-24.

McKinnon scored a receiving touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round, marking his 42–21 victory. On June 14, 2022, he rejoined the team for the second time.

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