[1] As a senior, he received SuperPrep All-American, All-state and Rocky Mountain News Defensive Player of the Year honors.
McKinney was signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams after the 1998 NFL draft on April 20.
On September 5, 1999, the Rams were going to cut McKinney with an injured wrist, but because they were late reporting it to the NFL office, they were forced by the league to waive a different player.
[6] In 2000, he suffered a right knee injury in the second preseason game against the Chicago Bears and was placed on the injured reserve list on August 16.
He also became part of history as the starting left guard on the Cowboys offensive line that helped Emmitt Smith eclipse Walter Payton as the NFL's all-time leading rusher, playing against the Seattle Seahawks on October 27.
On November 5, he underwent angioplasty surgery because the narrowing of an artery, after suffering shortness of breath while flying back home from the Detroit Lions game.