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.