For the third time in the past four years, another Denver Broncos player died a tragic death.† The most recent tragedy occurred on September 20th when second-year reserve receiver Kenny McKinley took his own life in his suburban Denver home. McKinley’s death follows the losses of Darrent Williams and Damien Nash in 2007. Though the three Broncos players were never Bronco superstars, they were nevertheless, precious lives lost.
McKinley went from being the all-time leading receiver for the University of South Carolina to injured benchwarmer for the Denver Broncos.† Despite being a fifth-round pick in 2009, McKinley injured his knee early on in preseason, resulting in a year on the bench.† He only saw eight games in his National Football League career after recovering from his preseason injury, only to suffer from yet another knee injury the following December.
As a former field hockey player at The College of Wooster, I can definitely identify with some of the frustration that McKinley most likely battled, though not nearly to his extent.† To focus so much time an energy on a passion, just to have it all taken away before your eyes is certainly not easy.† I too had an early preseason injury, and to surely nobody’s surprise, was upset.† The pain of imagining sitting out for the rest of the season was far more intense than the physical pain I felt in my leg.
Though sports practices are physically demanding, so are therapy sessions.† The yearning for complete rehabilitation in addition to the constant pokes and prods can often be overwhelming.† Luckily, I have many passions and was able to replace the void that field hockey left in my daily life, though it was not necessarily easy.† However, I was never nearly as dedicated to the sport as McKinley.
I could not imagine playing for a Division I NCAA team, let alone a national team.† I am not even sure if the pressure faced by national team field hockey players can equate to the pressure on NFL players.† Not only are coaches and managers on their backs (it is a business after all), but so is a good portion of the population: football is the American pastime, you know.
Surely McKinley is not the only injured player to ever be overwhelmed.† Recovering just to return to be injured again could not be easy either.† Broncos players reported that nobody was aware of the depression that settled deep inside McKinley: most memories of the Denver receiver revolved around his large, shining smile.
Did a “macho mentality” put McKinley to an early death?† Though it is a question that will never be answered, it is an important one to take into account.† With all of the pressures that come with being an NFL player comes the burdens of being a celebrity. They are the embodiment of masculinity.† And macho men don’t talk about their feelings.
If you ask me, a real man talks about his feelings.† A real man asks for help when he is in need.† Suicide is not the answer ññ there is always a way out, and taking one’s own life is not the way.
If NFL players were more open, maybe tragedies like McKinley’s would cease.† Though there is no telling what could have, should have, or would have happened, maybe if McKinley shared his pain with others he might have gotten the help he deserved.† Sports fans should be crying over team losses like losing games, not losing players.
I recently read Ms. Baggiano’s article about Kenny McKinley and although I liked it as a whole it seemed to have some holes. I am from Denver and have followed this along with the deaths of Damien Nash and Darrent Williams close as well. Of course this is a matter of opinion, but I would argue that at least Darrent Williams was a Broncos superstar. He started opposite future HOF Champ Bailey and Bailey would always say that Darrent would be the next great corner. McKinley is harder to defend as a superstar but he was useful in the very least. He took over the punt return job from Alphonso Smith and looked great down the stretch in that role until he hurt his knee. Coming into this year he was expected to be the number 3 receiver for the Broncos offense until he was sidelined by his knee. That position eventually fell to Brandon Lloyd, a similar build to McKinley and Lloyd is in 2nd place in the entire NFL in receiving yards. So those are just a matter of opinion though. The base of the argument was that his suicide came as a direct result of the knee injury and depression that followed because of it. However from the evidence shows that this was not the case. Depression comes in many forms but McKinley was observed all throughout his time on the IR as the same guy and was seen smiling and enjoying a South Carolina game the Saturday before he died. Unfortunately people have no concluded that his finances and relationships led to this as much if not more than that of his knee injury. Also, the lack of a suicide note could show that this was not a premeditated act but rather one that was decided in that one moment. Meaning that the need for counseling may not have been felt until this moment. Through this point you are also insulting his close friends saying they should have noticed something wrong, yet even after this event look back and say he was “like the same old Kenny, give everybody a smile.” Although that point can be debated. McKinley was a guy that stood up for what he believed in and took heat for it. He was the one that stood up to Lane Kiffin nationally when Kiffin was talking how SC graduates don’t do anything with their lives. I just feel it is insensitive to say that Kenny McKinley is less of a man because he didn’t seek help and eventually killed himself. I don’t mean to berate you on your points because as a whole the story has some merit I just disagree with some of the points. Its just hard when people try to put the story into a box much like the national media did when Darrent Williams was killed. They basically said chalk up another death for the African American urban lifestyle, which was the one of the worst things I’ve ever read from national media during my short life.
Thanks!