NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 96 - Anthony McKinney, Harlem

 The 96th player on this list was a somewhat reluctant warrior.

Anthony McKinney of Harlem grew up wanting to be a champion wrestler. His size - he eventually grew to be 6-8 and 314 pounds - made him a constant target of the Huskies football staff.

They wore him down and McKinney began playing the sport as a junior. That size, his wrestling training and overall natural abilitiy - McKinney would win a NIC-10 wrestling title and discus title in track - quickly made him a standout. He was first-team All-NIC-10 as an offensive lineman his senior year.

The late start forced McKinney to go the junior college route. He went to Iowa Western Junior College where he developed into a 4-star recruit. He chose Texas Christian University over dozens of schools where he would start 20 of 24 games and get invited to the Hula Bowl.

In 2020, McKinney went undrafted, but the Tennessee Titans signed him as a free agent. McKinney was the only Titans player to opt out because of the coronavirus pandemic. In June of 2021, the Titans waived McKinney after reaching an injury settlement. It is unclear if McKinney plans to continue to pursue a football dream or go into MMA.

No. 96 - Anthony McKinney, Harlem
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
2014	High School	Harlem	Playoff Team	1
2015	High School	Harlem	First Team All-Conference	2
			Playoff Team	1
2016	College	Iowa Western	Played D1 JUCO	1
2017	College	Iowa Western	Played D1 JUCO	1
2018	College	TCU	Letter winner on Power 5 team	4
			Starter	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
2019	College	TCU	Letter winner on Power 5 team	4
			Starter	1
2020	Professional	Titans	Free agent contract	1
Total				19

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players