How did Ga’Quincy McKinstry become ‘Kool-Aid,’ a star NFL draft prospect and projected first-round pick? As he tells the story, McKinstry earned his nickname the day he was born. The work came after.

Follow McKinstry’s journey as he trained relentlessly to become one of the top cornerbacks of the 2021 signing class, then a star at Alabama, in the first installment of “Road to the Pros,” AL.com’s Emmy-winning series that follows Alabama and Auburn athletes as they achieve their life’s goals.

With exclusive interviews with McKinstry, his family and his youth coaches, the series recounts his upbringing and what drove McKinstry on the gridiron.

“Kool-Aid was raised from the bottom to know what it is, but it wasn’t rough and it wasn’t easy,” Geneva Allen, McKinstry’s mother, said.

“We kept him in church, we kept him grounded in school. We kept him in activities and just keeping him in the activities, he wanted to be a part of that,” his grandmother, Brenda Allen, added.

McKinstry goes into his start in sports, which he played football, baseball and basketball. He also recalls a relationship with a younger cousin which shaped his life. Then, follow McKinstry into Bryant-Denny Stadium, where he won a state title with Pinson Valley and nabbed an interception in one of his first games at cornerback.

By McKinstry’s senior year in high school, he was a five-star prospect on nearly all recruiting services. They had a storage case stuffed with filers and pamphlets from college programs. He reveals details about his thought process when deciding between Alabama and Auburn.

“From that ninth grade on, everybody wanted him. It was crazy,” Pinson Valley head football coach Patrick Nix said.

The series is set to premiere weekly on AL.com’s YouTube channel. It was directed by Clay Yeager and produced by Yeager, Laura Goldman and Wesley Sinor.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].