[2] Separated from his mother, who had evacuated to Baton Rouge, McKnight temporarily relocated to Shreveport where he eventually enrolled and played two games for Evangel Christian Academy.

[2] McKnight was the latest of a line of running back prospects out of John Curtis Christian HS – among them Reggie Dupard, Chris Howard and Jonathan Wells.

[4] The backlash against McKnight's decision to attend college out of state manifested itself when the Curtis School's marching band was booed performing at a Mardi Gras parade.

[6] McKnight told reporters on National Signing Day that he spoke to former USC running back Reggie Bush before he chose Southern California over favored LSU.

On February 9, the Los Angeles Times reported that USC officials were investigating whether an NCAA recruiting violation occurred during the Trojans' pursuit of the Louisiana prep star.

[10] By the pre-season practice before his freshman season at USC, McKnight had already demonstrated some of the speed and moves that made him an impact player in high school.

[13] McKnight achieved a break-through at the end of his freshman season during the 2008 Rose Bowl, where he had 206 all-purpose yards: 36 on three punt returns, 45 on six pass receptions and 125 in 10 carries with one touchdown.

[17] Before his sophomore season, McKnight was included in Sports Illustrated's spring list of top ten Heisman Trophy contenders going into the fall.

[18] However, his sophomore season was hampered early on by medical conditions, fumbles and injuries, including a nagging metatarsalphalangeal joint sprain that prevented him from playing in two games.

[22] In his junior and final college football season, it was reported that McKnight was granted free use of a 2006 Land Rover SUV registered to Santa Monica businessman Scott Schenter, in violation of NCAA rules.

[25] On January 8, 2010, McKnight declared his intention to forgo his final year of eligibility, hired an agent and entered the 2010 NFL draft.

[31] McKnight made his NFL debut on October 3, 2010, against the Buffalo Bills and was used in a limited capacity on offense before being utilized as an emergency cornerback and on special teams over the course of the season.

[34] During the Jets' 2011 home opener against the Dallas Cowboys on September 11, 2011, McKnight blocked Matt McBriar's punt on a critical play resulting in a touchdown by fellow defender Isaiah Trufant.

[35] During the Jets' Sunday night game against the Baltimore Ravens, on October 2, 2011, McKnight returned a kickoff for 107 yards, his first career touchdown.

[51] However, this scenario was disputed by Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, which stated that forensic evidence suggested Gasser fired the shots in quick succession from within his car.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office took Gasser into custody for questioning, and released him without pressing charges while the investigation continued.

[53][54] Gasser was arrested for manslaughter on December 5, 2016, but was indicted by a grand jury on the more severe charge of second degree murder on February 2, 2017.

[55][56] On January 26, 2018, Gasser was acquitted of murder, but found guilty of manslaughter by a 10–2 verdict,[57][58] and was sentenced to 30 years in prison two months later on March 15.