Utah's Keith McGill optimistic about NFL future

(Deseret News)


16 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 7-8 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s the dream of every college football athlete: make it to the NFL and play with the best the world offers. And for Utah cornerback Keith McGill, that dream is looking more like a possibility.

McGill, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound cornerback from La Mirada, Calif., anxiously awaits the opportunity to have his name called sometime during the NFL draft at the beginning of May. And with Pro Day now behind him, McGill hopes he’s done enough to impress NFL coaches to merit a spot on at least one team’s draft board.

McGill tested in all the events at both the NFL Combine and at Pro Day in an effort to separate himself from the pack. And it’s that type of dedication to the sport that will likely raise some eyebrows for some NFL coaches.

“I wanted to separate myself from any other corner that could have been at the same level — show the coaches that I’m willing to do the extra work that’s needed to make it in the next level,” he said.

McGill’s passion for football started when he was young, watching a Denver Broncos game with his aunt.

“I saw Terrell Davis score a touchdown and (my aunt) went crazy,” he recalled. “And so I said I want to do that.”

His passion for the game always came with a supportive fan club that made an attempt to support McGill in every game and at every level.

“My mom and dad always went to the games, and my sisters went too,” he said. “As far as traveling, if it was too far, my mom and sisters wouldn’t go, but my dad was always there; he made it a point to always be there. They were real supportive of football. I played a couple of sports and this was one that I always just stuck with.”

Related:

Throughout his football career, McGill was an effective running back — a position he loved to play more than any other.

“One of my first games I ran a touchdown and they called it back and it was like 80 yards,” he remembered. “My coach told me we were going to run that exact same play and I got another touchdown for 80 yards. That was when I thought this is probably the sport for me.”

But as McGill progressed through the football ranks and made it to the college level, coaches said his size was better suited to play safety and cornerback. The transition from running back to cornerback wasn’t always easy, but now McGill is projected to be one of the top 10 cornerbacks in the upcoming draft.

McGill joined the Utah program prior to the 2011 season, playing football before that at the junior college level at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. He played five games his junior season at Utah before suffering a shoulder injury in a game against Arizona State. The injury kept McGill out for the rest of the season and throughout the 2012 season.

He returned his senior season starting in every game, and finished with 37 total tackles, 12 pass deflections and an interception off of UCLA’s Brett Hundley for a 16-yard touchdown. But McGill had the difficult task of guarding some of the best receivers in the country, which he believes, makes him a great candidate for the NFL.

“I’m used to playing 90 to 100 snaps per game all man,” he said. “I guarded two of the fastest receivers at the combine — the fastest, Brandin Cooks, and the third fastest, Paul Richardson. I think that if I can guard those guys man-to-man, then I can be good in the NFL.”

Throughout McGill’s career with Utah, he balanced going to school, playing football and supporting a wife and young daughter — a struggle he says few really understand.


"I'm used to playing 90 to 100 snaps per game all man. I guarded two of the fastest receivers at the combine — the fastest, Brandin Cooks, and the third fastest, Paul Richardson. I think that if I can guard those guys man-to-man, then I can be good in the NFL."

“It’s really hard. I don’t think a lot of people get a grasp for how hard that is,” he said. “We’re under scholarship, and that’s not really giving us that much money. Even though they’re paying for our education, I still had a family I had to take care of. My wife didn’t work because she was in school and my daughter was young. It was just stressful trying to find that balance in between football and school and being a husband and a father.”

And although every athlete that makes it to the NFL has to overcome obstacles and hard times, McGill said a shot in the NFL would be more than just an individual goal, it would be a way to support his family.

“It would lift every burden off my shoulders, being the father and the husband,” he said. “As a family, it’s just more of a goal, honestly. Just understanding that we’ve been through a lot and what it took to get there, it’s just going to be a good feeling when I go."

In early draft projections, McGill is slated to be drafted somewhere between the second and fourth round. But some scouts say his inability to use his size against receivers may make some NFL teams think twice before drafting McGill.

“They just want to see somebody hit people really hard,” he said. “They kinda want to see you go in there and get off blocks.”

Despite the criticism of his game, McGill said he doesn’t worry about his abilities as a cornerback at the next level. Coming from a defense that was designed around man coverage, McGill said his role with Utah was more difficult than cornerbacks that were asked to play in zone coverages.

Utah Utes defensive back Keith McGill (1) defends Arizona State Sun 
Devils wide receiver Jaelen Strong (21) in Salt Lake City Saturday, Nov. 
9, 2013. Arizona State won 20-19. (Submission date: 11/09/2013)
Utah Utes defensive back Keith McGill (1) defends Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jaelen Strong (21) in Salt Lake City Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013. Arizona State won 20-19. (Submission date: 11/09/2013) (Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)

“By the time I turn around there’s either someone there or there’s not — very little reaction time,” he said. “I just kind of shrug my shoulders at that (criticism). If I played zone there would probably be more hits and there would be some forced fumbles and interceptions.

“But the perfect way to explain it is Richard Sherman plays zone and is really productive. And Darrelle Revis plays all man and no one throws it his way,” he added. “That’s the way I look at it. I’m going to go to the right team and go to the right program. I can’t really look at the negatives, I’ve just got to look at the positives.”

Although McGill is hoping to be drafted by a team where the defense could use his size and ability, he said he’s going to miss the bond he had with teammates and coaches the most. The bond he had with other players at Utah was more than just about football, it was like a family.

“I’m going to miss the bond that we had. We were all real close here — winning or losing, spring ball or fall camp,” he said. “I don’t know if the NFL is like that; I couldn’t tell you because I’m not there yet. I know for a fact that I’ll miss that.”

In the months leading up to the draft, McGill will continue to train in both California and Utah to put in the extra work to get onto an NFL team. With several teams in communication with McGill, he’s optimistic his name will be called sometime during the draft. But he said he’s not too worried about where he’s selected, as long as there is somewhere for him to play.

“As for me, I’m not really going to get too tied up in that stuff. I’m going to sit there like the rest of the nation and watch, and hopefully my phone rings earlier than later,” he said. “When it does I’ll be happy. All I need is one team to look at me and see that I’m willing to make that extra move.

“If that call doesn’t come then there would be free agency and hopefully somebody would pick me up,” he added. “If the free agency does pop up, it will just be another step, another hurdle I have to get through.”

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

Sports
Josh Furlong

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast