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Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons drafted defensive end Takkarist McKinley out of UCLA with the 26th pick of the first round.
Upon selection, an emotional McKinley recounted how he promised his grandmother on her deathbed that he would go to a Division 1 school and then make it into the NFL.
“This is who I did it for,” McKinley exclaimed while pointing to a framed picture of his grandmother. “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 going to go D1, I was going to get out of Richmond, get out Oakland, I was going to go to the NFL. I made that promise to her, man. Thirty seconds later, she passed away, and that’s who I do it for. This is who I do it for. Come on, man!”
He added in an interview with Deion Sanders, “I completed the promise. That means every f***ing thing to me. Excuse my language. Fine me later, man. Fine me later!”
The new Atlanta Falcon did not qualify for college out of high school and went to junior college before making his way to UCLA.
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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