Written by Vaughn McClure at ESPN.com
Atlanta Falcons first-round draft pick Takkarist McKinley poked fun at himself after using the F-word in a live draft night interview Thursday with NFL Network analyst and Falcons Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
The Falcons traded with the Seattle Seahawks to move up from the 31st overall pick to select the UCLA pass-rusher with the 26th overall pick. Then the emotional McKinley took the stage in Philadelphia holding a picture of his late grandmother Myrtle Collins. She died in 2011 due to heart complications, 30 seconds after McKinley made a promise to her.
Promised completed ✔️ can’t wait to hit the field with the @AtlantaFalcons 💯 dreams come true so happy right now! pic.twitter.com/8PmMUDgaFx
— Takkarist McKinley (@Takk) April 28, 2017
“It means everything, man … I made a promise to her,” McKinley told Sanders. “Like I said, I was going to go D-I. I was going to get out of Richmond [California]. I was going to get out of Oakland. I was going to live my dream to play in the NFL. And I’m here, man. I completed the promise. That means every f—ing thing to me.”
During a video conference with the Atlanta media, McKinley was asked about his choice of words in the moment.
“I probably went on stage and probably said a few curse words and kind of slipped up,” McKinley said. “Probably got fined already before I even got my contract.”
McKinley said Sanders offered advice on how to channel those emotions.
“He said it’s good for me to have that emotion, that fire; he said I just need to find a way to manage it,” McKinley said. “He just [told] me I’ve got to be able to control it but keep it as well because that’s who I am and that’s how I play.”
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