Juco OL McKinney silencing critics 

Center Shawn McKinney (Athens, Texas/Trinity Valley) is best described by the first sentence in his bio on Twitter: “QB Protector at Trinity Valley.” As the center, he takes the responsibility of keeping his quarterback’s jersey clean very seriously.

Trinity Valley played its final game of the 2012 season on Saturday, falling to Tyler (Texas) Junior College, 37-16. In addition to being a leader on Trinity Valley’s offensive line, McKinney also made it his personal mission to prove to college scouts that his size shouldn’t be considered before watching him play. He’s 6-foot-4 and 355 pounds -- numbers that tend to raise premature red flags in the recruiting game.

“It’s very frustrating. I’m just a naturally big guy,” McKinney said. “There are guys out there who are a lot bigger than me, but I weigh more due to the muscle mass.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider