Photo by: Brett Rojo
Built for Football: Whitfield Ready for Final Season at TU
9/3/2018 8:00:00 AM | Football
By Jordan Korphage, Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations
In a parallel universe, you would be reading about McKinley Whitfield, a college basketball standout heading into his senior season rather than McKinley Whitfield, a senior safety on The University of Tulsa football team.
Growing up in Fort Coffee, Okla., which boasts a population of less than 500 near the Arkansas River two hours southeast of Tulsa, Whitfield excelled in any sport he tried, but his first love was basketball. Playing for nearby Spiro High School, Whitfield eventually tried out and made the MOKAN Elite roster, an AAU team that has produced NBA players like Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr., Willie Cauley-Stein and Semi Ojeleye, to name a few.
However, the visits and mail from college coaches concerning Whitfield's skills on the football field began to pile up, forcing him to make a tough decision.
"I was all basketball up until my junior year. I wanted to play college basketball," Whitfield said. "But schools came in and kind of told me, 'you're built for football' and 'you can make money playing football someday.' That really opened my eyes and made me realize that football was my future."
With one big decision out of the way, Whitfield had one more significant choice to make and his mind was not fully made up until signing day. His last official visit was to Minnesota the week before signing day and Whitfield also got a last-minute offer from Louisville. But in the end, his heart led him to Tulsa.
"I wanted to stay close to home and play for my family," Whitfield said. "That day (signing day) was stressful. Minnesota recruited me harder than anyone besides Tulsa. Coach Monty called me that morning and talked to me. I believed in Coach Monty and I committed to TU."
After arriving at TU in the fall of 2015, Whitfield wasted no time in earning a spot on the field as a true freshman. Since then, he has played in all 38 games of his career with 14 starts. He has totaled 193 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 12 pass break-ups and a pair of interceptions in a Golden Hurricane uniform and he will be counted on to help anchor the defense in his final campaign this fall.
Whitfield made a name for himself early on by recovering an onside kick late in the first half of just his third collegiate game, when the Hurricane squared off with No. 16 Oklahoma in Norman. Following a TU touchdown, Whitfield came up with the squib kick with just nine seconds left in the half. The Hurricane capitalized on the rookie's big play with a 43-yard scoring strike just before halftime that trimmed the Sooners lead to 31-24.
"I couldn't believe it," Whitfield recalled. "I was running down the field and I guess it bounced the wrong way and I just went and grabbed it. It was cool and I couldn't stop smiling on the sideline."
Whitfield has NFL aspirations after his time at TU comes to an end, but ultimately, his hope is to return to the football field as a coach and mentor to younger players.
"I want to come back to my hometown, or somewhere in that area, and be a high school head coach someday," Whitfield said. "I want to help influence kids and get them to the next level. Help keep them out of trouble."
He already works in one of those capacities, mentoring younger family members and friends during trips back home to Fort Coffee. Whitfield's hope is that his guidance will help keep them on the right path and succeed in all areas of life, whether it be on the football field or another avenue.
"I'm a family guy and that's why I picked TU," Whitfield said. "Every time I go home, I'm with my little cousins teaching things about life and what they have to do to get to this level. Giving back to my family and my hometown. They are why I do this, so that I can take care of them.
"I've had friends that had talent but didn't go anywhere because they got into the wrong things, so I try to tell them that's not a path you have to go down. This is a path you can do and take your academics serious, even better than I did in high school, and take all the little things like that serious. It really matters."
In a parallel universe, you would be reading about McKinley Whitfield, a college basketball standout heading into his senior season rather than McKinley Whitfield, a senior safety on The University of Tulsa football team.
Growing up in Fort Coffee, Okla., which boasts a population of less than 500 near the Arkansas River two hours southeast of Tulsa, Whitfield excelled in any sport he tried, but his first love was basketball. Playing for nearby Spiro High School, Whitfield eventually tried out and made the MOKAN Elite roster, an AAU team that has produced NBA players like Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr., Willie Cauley-Stein and Semi Ojeleye, to name a few.
However, the visits and mail from college coaches concerning Whitfield's skills on the football field began to pile up, forcing him to make a tough decision."I was all basketball up until my junior year. I wanted to play college basketball," Whitfield said. "But schools came in and kind of told me, 'you're built for football' and 'you can make money playing football someday.' That really opened my eyes and made me realize that football was my future."
With one big decision out of the way, Whitfield had one more significant choice to make and his mind was not fully made up until signing day. His last official visit was to Minnesota the week before signing day and Whitfield also got a last-minute offer from Louisville. But in the end, his heart led him to Tulsa.
"I wanted to stay close to home and play for my family," Whitfield said. "That day (signing day) was stressful. Minnesota recruited me harder than anyone besides Tulsa. Coach Monty called me that morning and talked to me. I believed in Coach Monty and I committed to TU."
After arriving at TU in the fall of 2015, Whitfield wasted no time in earning a spot on the field as a true freshman. Since then, he has played in all 38 games of his career with 14 starts. He has totaled 193 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 12 pass break-ups and a pair of interceptions in a Golden Hurricane uniform and he will be counted on to help anchor the defense in his final campaign this fall.
Whitfield made a name for himself early on by recovering an onside kick late in the first half of just his third collegiate game, when the Hurricane squared off with No. 16 Oklahoma in Norman. Following a TU touchdown, Whitfield came up with the squib kick with just nine seconds left in the half. The Hurricane capitalized on the rookie's big play with a 43-yard scoring strike just before halftime that trimmed the Sooners lead to 31-24.
"I couldn't believe it," Whitfield recalled. "I was running down the field and I guess it bounced the wrong way and I just went and grabbed it. It was cool and I couldn't stop smiling on the sideline."
Whitfield has NFL aspirations after his time at TU comes to an end, but ultimately, his hope is to return to the football field as a coach and mentor to younger players.
"I want to come back to my hometown, or somewhere in that area, and be a high school head coach someday," Whitfield said. "I want to help influence kids and get them to the next level. Help keep them out of trouble."
He already works in one of those capacities, mentoring younger family members and friends during trips back home to Fort Coffee. Whitfield's hope is that his guidance will help keep them on the right path and succeed in all areas of life, whether it be on the football field or another avenue.
"I'm a family guy and that's why I picked TU," Whitfield said. "Every time I go home, I'm with my little cousins teaching things about life and what they have to do to get to this level. Giving back to my family and my hometown. They are why I do this, so that I can take care of them.
"I've had friends that had talent but didn't go anywhere because they got into the wrong things, so I try to tell them that's not a path you have to go down. This is a path you can do and take your academics serious, even better than I did in high school, and take all the little things like that serious. It really matters."
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