By Deana Garner, NFL Player Engagement
How many NFL players can say they’ve been recognized by the Grammys? Or that they’ve played and won against tennis pros Venus and Serena Williams? Well, 13-year NFL veteran Bryant McKinnie can say all that and more. Get to know the man behind the uniform in this exclusive Engagement Insider interview.
Deana Garner: Thanks for speaking with me today. Can you tell us a little about yourself.
Bryant McKinnie: I’m Bryant McKinnie born & raised in Woodbury NJ. I attended Lackawanna Jr College in Scranton, PA for two years & then went onto The University of Miami.
DG: And Bryant, when did you start playing football?
BMc: I started playing football my freshmen year in high school and prior to that I wrestled and played basketball since the 3rd grade.
DG: What other sports have you enjoyed playing?
BMc: I now enjoy playing tennis and football.
DG: In what sports have you participated in competitively?
BMc: I’ve wrestled, played basketball, track & field, tennis and football competitively.
DG: Can you tell us who your favorite athlete is - in a sport other than football?
BMc: My Fav athlete outside of football would be 2 people: that’s the Williams's sisters (Venus and Serena – that is).
DG: That is very cool! So, talk about how you balance your love for football with your love for tennis?
BMc: I focus on football during the season, but I still play tennis at least once a week to help my footwork for football. During the Off season, Ii try to play tennis at least 3 times a week.
DG: Ok. Now since we are still in the NFL Off-season, can you tell us about your Off-season and what you’ve been doing?
BMc: During the Off-season, I continued to train, take tennis lessons, work on my record label (Bmajor Music Group) as well as The Bmajor Foundation. I attended The Sony Open to catch some tennis matches, played in The Williams Invitational, was a regular on the CBS sports show ‘The Sports Bang’ as well.
DG: Sounds like you were very busy! What other interests are you engaged in outside of football?
BMc: Outside of football, (I’ve been focused on) my foundation. I’m big on my record label, and I might add I’m one of very few football players who earned a Grammy certificate for my Co-Executive Producer credits on "The Introduction to Marcus Cooper" R&B project which was nominated for 3 Grammy's.
DG: Wow that’s fantastic! What advice would you give a young person who's interested in many sports and is having to balance their interests?
BMc: I would suggest the person pick the sport they feel they are the strongest at and try to dominate in that field but still play the other sports on the side for fun or a possible back up plan.
DG: That sounds like good advice. Changing topics a little, can you share one of your favorite pre-game rituals you use for tennis matches/tournaments?
BMc: Pre game ritual for tennis is that I try to make sure I’m playing loose. I bounce the ball a certain amount of times before I serve.
DG: So, is there a favorite tennis competition you love to watch?
BMc: I try to catch all the majors for tennis. I traveled to London in 2010 for Wimbledon.
DG: What tournament do you most enjoy playing in and why?
BMc: The Williams Invitational is my fav tournament and especially this year because I was able to defeat Serena's team in team tennis for the gold medal.
DG: That’s awesome!!! So, what was another memorable tennis competition that you recall?
BMc: My most memorable performance was against Venus & Serena’. We always have very close matches and I was able to pull thru with the ‘W’!
DG: Wow that sounds like such a great experience! Can you share one of the funniest tennis experiences you've had?
BMc: Yeah, when I was just starting out, I played at the Sony Open a few years ago and totally missed the ball! The crowd laughed.
DG: Bryant, thanks so much for sharing with us other facets of ‘The Real Bryant McKinnie’.