The death of Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was announced last night, his death an apparent suicide and the news making national headlines. I went to school with Kenny in Austell, GA at South Cobb High School. We shared three years in the same uniform, both on the football field as well as making our way around the track. And it was Kenny who sold me my first rap CD as a sophomore, a memory that makes me laugh and a story that I still tell at least once a week. He made some special memories for me during a time when life was difficult.
Since we graduated high school, our lives have taken very different directions. Kenny went on to the University of South Carolina to play football. As was his way, Kenny did more than just play. He broke records, and he went on to play professionally for the Denver Broncos. I decided to take a year off to pursue my own passions, or at least to do my best to figure out what that meant. It was that time that led me to where I am today, working with TWLOHA, and next month marks three years that I’ve been with the organization. My job has taken me all across North America and to places as far as Australia and Peru. I’ve had the opportunity to hear the stories of people from all around the world. They have shared with me their struggles with issues of pain, including suicide, and I’ve had the chance to tell my own story as well.
As the years have gone by, I’ve loved catching Kenny’s games on Saturdays during his time at USC and Sundays last year. It felt good to be in someone’s corner like that. On a scale that seemed larger than life, I still got to search and cheer for number 11. It made the game something different. I didn’t care much if USC won or lost, but what mattered was knowing that Kenny was a person I had memories with, someone I got to get excited about. I was proud to celebrate his talent and it was amazing to see where that talent was taking him. Seeing Kenny on the field took me back, and I loved sharing those stories. He was a day-brightener in his own right. Reading quotes from his friends and teammates, it seemed to be a trait he never lost. He could work a room and motivate the lowest morales.
I had a picture in my mind of who Kenny was, and watching him become more successful in his career only reinforced that picture of a guy who was confident, successful and happy. The news of his death was the last I ever expected to hear. Reading comments from people under articles about Kenny’s death shows that many others are finding themselves in this same place. Some people are saying it was selfish, others wonder how someone with the world at his fingertips could do something like this. I am reminded of one thing: pain does not discriminate. We all have our battles we fight in the day-to-day. We are meant to care about one another, and to come together when things seem to be falling apart. We have the chance to share the things we deal with and fight together for our stories. We have a chance to believe in the story we are making for ourselves.
Kenny was a leader, friend, son, and father. I’ll never shy away from sharing the memories I have with him because it’s the best way to celebrate his life.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the McKinley family. Find peace in one another and the love that thousands of people shared for Kenny.
We will miss you, Kenny.
Chris