There are cool names, and then there are people named Kool-Aid.
Like Alabama freshman defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry. “Kool-Aid” is his nickname, but it’s so much a part of his history that even the Crimson Tide sports information staff refer to him by it on the team’s official roster and in his official bio.
SIGNING DAY 2021: Class, player rankings
Alabama FR DB Ga’Quincy McKinstry is going by Kool-Aid now. It’s in the bio. It’s official. He has solidified his status as a future hall of famer pic.twitter.com/yHS8TtIi7r
— Justin (@afc2nfc) June 11, 2021
McKinstry told the origin story of his moniker when he was in high school. AL.com reported that he said his grandmother gave him that nickname because he was born smiling. The Kool-Aid cartoon character is always seen with a smile on its face, of course.
For the record, McKinstry’s given first name is Ga’Quincy, which means he could also go with “GQ,” a classy shortened version. And “Kool-Aid” isn’t even his full nickname: On Twitter, it’s “Koolaid Glizxzy.”
But, hey, when you’re a five-star recruit, the No. 1-ranked prep cornerback according to 247Sports.com, a Mr. Football in Alabama and a two-sport stud (he plans to play for the Tide men’s basketball team next season), you can go by whatever you want.
Pretty sweet deal, that.