STATESBORO — Georgia Southern running back/quarterback Jerick McKinnon became the 10th Eagle ever selected in the NFL Draft when he was picked in the third round by Minnesota on Friday, according to gseagles.com.
McKinnon, the 96th overall pick, is the first Eagle selected since 2002, when running back Adrian Peterson was picked in the sixth round, 199th overall, by Chicago, according to pro-football-reference.com.
A two-time All-American and team MVP, McKinnon finished with 3,899 career rushing yards, which is third on the Eagles’ all-time list.
“When they called me, I just started crying,” McKinnon told gseagles.com about taking the call from the Vikings at his home in Marietta. “I can’t explain how I feel. There has been so much that has gone into this day. I started playing when I was 4 years old, and my pops would coach me in the backyard after school. Just to get to this point, there was so much work and effort, and having it play out this way, this is a testament of God doing His work. At the end of the day, I feel very blessed.”
McKinnon, who scored the game-winning touchdown in Georgia Southern’s victory over Florida in “The Swamp” last November, is ranked in the top 10 in many career offensive lists at GSU. He ran or passed for at least one touchdown in all but one game in which he played and tied a school record for most interceptions in a playoff game with two vs. Maine during his sophomore season.
McKinnon will report to the Vikings for rookie camp this week.