Last Updated: Sunday, April 7, 2002 5:28 PM
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Seth
McKinney C - Texas A & M- Third Round #72
A pick for the trenches. Seth McKinney is a player with a strong work ethic. He fills a need at center where Mark Stepnoski was released leaving only the unproved second-year player Matt Lehr to man the middle of the offensive line. Not only does McKinney provide depth at a critical position, he give the Cowboys an option should the converted guard Lehr not be up to the challenge. At Texas A&M, McKinney started every game possible in his Aggie career, 50 consecutive games. He is only the fifth Division I-A center to start all four years. McKinney earned first-team Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, as well as earning consensus second-team All-America honors. He was runner-up for the Rimington Trophy presented to the nation's top center and he was a consensus first-team All-Big 12 selection on the offensive line.
While his execution on the football field deserves attention, his work in the classroom is impressive, too. He graduated early with a BBA in information and operations management and is currently in graduate school. Named Texas A&M's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2000, McKinney attributes his success in the classroom to his family. "My parents did a good job of instilling the importance of academics in me," he said.
He also has NFL football roots. His older brother, Steve, was a star for the Aggies, the Indianapolis Colts, and now the Houston Texans. "I remember going to A&M football games when I was younger," McKinney recalls. "I really enjoyed watching the games and watching everyone wave their 12th Man towels."
A leader, he went to the dorm and organized the football team to carry logs
off the field after the tragic Bonfire incident. Said a former instructor--
"He's a quiet person, but it's obvious on the field and in the classroom
that he's a natural born leader."
When you see the type of contracts that free agent centers are getting in the
NFL, it's pretty obvious the Cowboys must built depth at that position through
the draft. McKinney could eventually become the starter with Lehr working at
guard-- the position he played in college. Whatever happens, it seems clear
to me that he would be a strong addition to the already good Dallas Cowboys
offensive line.
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