With the 26th pick of last night's NFL draft, one which they made trades to obtain, the Atlanta Falcons took Takk McKinley, a linebacker from UCLA.
McKinley walked to the stage clutching a picture of his grandmother, Myrtle Collins, who had raised him. She died in 2011.
As he walked off the stage, McKinley told of the promise which he made to his grandmother before she passed away.
I made a promise to her and I stuck to it. I made that promise, man. I told her. Before she passed away, I was going to live my dream. I was gonna go [to a Division I college]. I was gonna get out of Richmond, I was gonna get out of Oakland. I was gonna go to the NFL. I made that promise to her, man.
Thirty seconds later she passed away. And this is who I do it for. This is who I do it for, man ...
C’mon, man! Get to the damn quarterback! We gonna get to the quarterback!
Shortly after, McKinley spoke to Dion Saunders. After swearing on live TV, the 21-year-old told NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to 'fine me later'.
I made a promise to her. I said I was going to go D1. I will get out of Richmond, I will 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 mean's every fucking thing to me. Excuse my language, fine me later man, fine me later man, this mean's everything to me.
McKinley further elaborated on the promise he had made while speaking to ESPN's Suzy Kolber.
