Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead in his home Monday afternoon at the age of 23.
McKinley’s body was discovered with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a bedroom at his home in central Centennial around 3:25 pm.
“It was apparently a suicide, but we’re still investigating,” Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said.
McKinley had reportedly been visiting family in Atlanta, and returned to Denver Sunday with his son.
The second-year pro was a fifth round draft pick during the 2009 NFL Draft. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in his second game with the Broncos, and remained on the team’s injury reserve list.
“Kenny had a promising future on the football field, but more importantly, he was a great teammate whose smile and personality could light up the room,” coach Josh McDaniels said in a statement Monday night. “This is a tragic loss for our football team, and his family is in all of our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
McKinley holds the records for receptions and receiving yards at the University of South Carolina, where he started his final three seasons with the Gamecocks
“Kenny was certainly one of my favorite all-time players,” South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier told The Charleston Post and Courier. “He was one of them. He was a wonderful guy. It’s hard to figure out how, or why, this happened. He’s one of my all-time favorites — everything about him. He had a wonderful smile. It’s a sad day.”