Linebacker Benardrick McKinney produced a standout season in 2018 for the Houston Texans and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
“It meant a lot,” McKinney said. “Just growing up, just watching guys make the Pro Bowl. Getting to the league, I knew it was going to be a challenge for me. I worked my butt off every day, took the coaching, and just to be a Pro Bowler, it means a lot to me.”
However, the 2015 second-round pick doesn’t want to rest on his laurels. As McKinney enters his fifth season in the NFL, the 26-year-old has approached the offseason with the goal of taking each day at a time in pursuit of playing better.
“I just want to step it up a notch and continue to try to be the best player I can be, and maybe one day be one of the best linebackers in the league,” said McKinney.
The former Bulldog has collected 387 combined tackles, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbled, 10 pass deflections, and an interception in 62 career games, 59 of which he has started. Even though McKinney has played well enough to be a Pro Bowler, there are still aspects to his game he seeks to improve, such as his leadership abilities.
Said McKinney: “There’s a lot of things that I need to get better at but I’m just trying to help get the defense ready. Just trying to be the leader I am, work on my craft, get the young guys ready. I think I can just improve a lot just being a leader and just get better at doing what I need to do.”
McKinney is in the perfect spot to work on his leadership. Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt is a natural leader playing defensive end for the Texans, and 35-year-old cornerback Johnathan Joseph also brings leadership from the back end. It gives McKinney time to grow into the role. If Houston can get McKinney to be as effective of a leader as Watt, then it bodes well for their AFC South title defense.
