McKinney scales the rehab mountain, now enjoying the view
West Holmes senior Peyton McKinney's long road back after a knee injury last season has been tough, but his attitude and willingness to do whatever it takes has made this a season of dreams rather than a nightmare.
When The Beatles sang about “the long and winding road,” it is highly doubtful they had West Holmes quarterback Peyton McKinney in mind because he wasn’t born until about four decades later.
However, their words succinctly sum up the senior quarterback’s odyssey from rising star, through a horrifying knee injury, a lengthy rehabilitation, to where he is today, manning the red-hot Knights from his position behind center.
It has not been an easy recovery for McKinney, who missed almost all of last season, his basketball season in the winter and even a part of this football season as he worked alongside sophomore quarterback Noah Clark.
However, McKinney never lost faith in himself, his coaches nor his teammates and worked and waited for a chance to get back under center. When Clark was injured in game two of this season, McKinney calmly stepped into an old, familiar role at quarterback and has been excelling ever since.
“It was a mind-set of how bad I wanted to come back and how hard was I willing to work,” McKinney said of his rehab stint and dealing with both the physical and emotional demands he had to go through to get back. “How hard do I want to rehab and work to get back out here and play with my brothers, who I have been playing with since third grade? That was never even a question.”
His knee rehab was grueling, and on top of it, as he was working his way back, the COVID-19 quarantine went into effect, making things even stranger and tougher for McKinney.
Still, his resolve never wavered, and he worked his tail off to get back to where he had been prior to the injury.
McKinney said when the team was finally able to get back to practice in June, coach Zach Gardner pushed him relentlessly because he believed in McKinney and knew he could help the team win.
“We said at the start of the year that we have two kids who could legitimately play quarterback,” Gardner said. “They are both leaders and quality kids, and we are very blessed to have them both. I am very proud of the way Peyton has worked to get back here and prove himself. We all know how hard he worked and what it took for him to get back here.”
McKinney said if other people had doubts about him returning to quarterback this season, he himself had those same questions, not because of his reconstructed knee, but because of the situation with Clark putting up some very impressive numbers his freshman campaign.
However, throughout all of it, Gardner continued to believe he had not one but two quality quarterbacks who could lead the Knights, and that belief was put to the test early on.
McKinney responded by justifying his coach’s belief in him. Following the playoff win over Padua Fransiscan, he is 107-of-192 in passing attempts, throwing for 1,595 yards and 15 touchdowns while also running for three scores.
For McKinney, the thrill of simply getting back out there and playing has been a joy, regardless of where it was.
“All I knew was that I was willing to go where my team needed me to play, whether that was quarterback, defensive line or wherever I was needed. I was just thrilled to get back at it,” McKinney said.
During his time standing on the sideline at practice or at games during his rehab, it would have been easy for McKinney to get bored, frustrated or despondent, having to watch the action. However, he said it never got to that point because he realized he could help the Knights by being a great teammate on the sideline and continuing to be a part of each win or loss.
“That really wasn’t as hard on me as people think,” McKinney said. “People think it’s hard, and it is, but when I see my guys out there giving it everything they have, I can’t be mad, so I did whatever I could to be a part and to be that cheerleader guy who encouraged his teammates every time I could.”
Seeing the game from the sideline saw McKinney giving as much advice as he could to Clark as he developed. It also gave him a chance to experience the game more from a coach’s viewpoint, which can be incredibly useful for a quarterback to gain more understanding of what makes an offense tick.
McKinney said talking with Gardner and the other coaches on the sideline during games and practice and talking game strategy with Clark gave him real insight into the game.
“I learned so much about the game during this time,” McKinney said. “That has helped me a lot as the season has progressed.”
McKinney said doctors and coaches have inspired him to rehab and get back into playing shape, but in the end the support and encouragement of his teammates has been something he won’t soon forget.
“Those guys have been amazing,” McKinney said. “They have stuck by my side through all of this. They have been there for me every step of the way. They have pushed me and encouraged me because they wanted me back as much as I wanted to come back.”
Having missed nine games last year and coming out and playing well and winning games in the playoffs has helped cement McKinney’s belief in himself, but more importantly, he said it shows him how important it is for a team to work together and strive for the same united goal.
“I’m glad to be back and playing, but more importantly, I’m glad the team has found so much success,” McKinney said.
Through trials and tribulations, climbing the mountain and getting to the beautiful view from the top again has helped McKinney grow in many ways, and although he doesn’t wish anyone the ill will of being placed in the position where they have to overcome an injury, he believes in the end it has helped him become who he is.