McKinley Whitfield headed to NY Giants mini camp

5/2/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Fort Coffee is headed for the big stage.

Wait, Fort Coffee? Where is that? Is it in Oklahoma?

It’s a town that might go unrecognized, outside of severe weather coverage in Oklahoma, but Fort Coffee sits in the Arkansas River bend near Skullyville and northeast of Spiro. Just find LeFlore County in far eastern Oklahoma, and it sits at the very northern tip of the county.

It’s where McKinley Whitfield has called home all his life.

Now Whitfield will fly the Fort Coffee flag proudly when he attends New York Giants mini camp.

“It means everything in the world to me to represent Spiro and Fort Coffee,” said Whitfield, a former standout at Spiro High School before playing college football at the University of Tulsa.

“I grew up there my whole life, and I just try my best to be a inspiration to all the younger kids there.”

Whitfield, measuring at 6 feet, 3 inches and 217 pounds, knows professional athletic endeavors don’t come along often for those growing up in Fort Coffee.

“Not many people from the area get changes like these,” he said, “so it’s a blessing.”

Whitfield, a safety by trade, recently watched the NFL Draft intently, hoping for his name to appear in the later rounds. But all seven rounds breezed by, despite a few draft boards mentioning Whitfield as a possible late-round candidate.

“It was very frustrating,” said Whitfield, who logged 264 tackles and 19 pass breakups during his collegiate career. “Everybody was thinking that I was going to get drafted, so I didn’t want to let anybody down. I just tried to keep myself busy during the whole process and be around my family.”

It didn’t take long for Whitefield to draw an invitation to New York’s minicamp, which begins this weekend.

“It feels good getting a chance to go play at the next level,” said Whitfield, who nabbed four interceptions while at Tulsa. “Of course I would rather have gotten drafted or a free agent deal, but it’s just more motivation for me.

Whitfield joins four other TU players as mini camp invitees. Justin Hobbs and Willie Wright will work out for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns, respectively, and two other in-state talents, Tyler Bowling (Yukon) and Chandler Miller (Bixby), will try to earn a spot with the Atlanta Falcons.

Leading up to the draft, Whitfield never had much interaction with the Giants, chatting with the organization once while at a senior event in Texas. But now he gets a chance to prove Fort Coffee belongs in the NFL.

“I’ve always been a hard worker since I was a kid,” Whitfield said. “That definitely isn’t going to stop now.”

*Photo credit: University of Tulsa

Week 4 Pick 'Em Results

9/26/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN 8-4 (42-18 70.00%)	MARK 7-5 (40-20 66.67%)	JACOB 6-6 (37-23 61.67%)	GARY 7-5	FAN PICK 8-4 (36--24 60.00%)
Broken Bow @ Sallisaw
Atoka @ Beggs
Merritt @ Tonkawa
Wewoka @ Ringling
Healdton @ Wayne
Weleetka @ Seiling
Kingfisher @ North Rock Creek
Del City @ Coweta
Yukon @ Deer Creek
Stillwater @ Owasso
Sequoyah Tahlequah @ Lincoln Christian
Wynnewood @ Mangum

Week 4 Pay Dirt Picks

9/24/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN	MARK	JACOB	GARY	FAN PICK
Broken Bow @ Sallisaw
Atoka @ Beggs
Merritt @ Tonkawa
Wewoka @ Ringling
Healdton @ Wayne
Weleetka @ Seiling
Kingfisher @ North Rock Creek
Del City @ Coweta
Yukon @ Deer Creek
Stillwater @ Owasso
Sequoyah Tahlequah @ Lincoln Christian
Wynnewood @ Mangum

Week 3 Pick 'Em Results

9/19/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN 9-3 (34-14 70.83%)	MARK 9-3 (33-15 68.75%)	JACOB 9-3 (31-17 64.58%)	CLINT 8-4	DANIEL 9-3	FAN PICK 5-7 (28--20 58.33%)
Heritage Hall @ Millwood
Kingfisher @ Bridge Creek
Casady @ Community Christian
Stroud @ Chandler
Pawhuska @ Woodland
Weleetka @ Davenport
Oklahoma Bible @ Cherokee
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Medford
Choctaw @ Muskogee
Owasso @ Sand Springs
Carl Albert @ Del City
Metro Christian @ Holland Hall

Week 3 Pay Dirt Picks

9/16/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN	MARK	JACOB	CLINT	DANIEL	FAN PICK
Heritage Hall @ Millwood
Kingfisher @ Bridge Creek
Casady @ Community Christian
Stroud @ Chandler
Pawhuska @ Woodland
Weleetka @ Davenport
Oklahoma Bible @ Cherokee
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Medford
Choctaw @ Muskogee
Owasso @ Sand Springs
Carl Albert @ Del City
Metro Christian @ Holland Hall

Week 2 Pick 'Em Results

9/12/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN 7-5 (25-11 69.44%)	MARK 6-6 (24-12 66.67%)	JACOB 6-6 (22-14 61.11%)	DEREK 7-5	ROBERT 5-7	FAN PICK 8-4 (23--13 63.89%)
Cashion @ Fairview
Okeene @ Seiling
Laverne @ Weleetka
Thomas - Fay - Custer @ Minco
Southwest Covenant @ Crescent
CHA @ Luther
Clinton @ Kingfisher
Davis @ Sulphur
Owasso @ Broken Arrow
Tuttle @ Elgin
Carl Albert @ Bishop McGuinness
Cascia Hall @ Metro Christian

Week 2 Pay Dirt Picks

9/9/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN	MARK	JACOB	DEREK	ROBERT	FAN PICK
Cashion @ Fairview
Okeene @ Seiling
Laverne @ Weleetka
Thomas - Fay - Custer @ Minco
Southwest Covenant @ Crescent
CHA @ Luther
Clinton @ Kingfisher
Davis @ Sulphur
Owasso @ Broken Arrow
Tuttle @ Elgin
Carl Albert @ Bishop McGuinness
Cascia Hall @ Metro Christian

Week 1 Pick 'Em Results

9/5/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN 8-4 (18-6 75.00%)	MARK 10-2 (18-6 75.00%)	JACOB 9-3 (16-8 66.67%)	MARK 8-4	KALEB 10-2	FAN PICK 7-4 (15--9 62.50%)
Washington @ Sulphur
Cashion @ Kingfisher
Lincoln Christian @ Heritage Hall
Blanchard @ Clinton
Dewar @ Caddo
Medford @ Waukomis
Inola @ Adair
Chisholm @ Fairview
Stillwater @ Bixby
Tuttle @ Newcastle
Broken Arrow @ Union
Coweta @ Pryor

Week 1 Pay Dirt Picks

9/2/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	SHAWN	MARK	JACOB	MARK	KALEB	FAN PICK
Washington @ Sulphur
Cashion @ Kingfisher
Lincoln Christian @ Heritage Hall
Blanchard @ Clinton
Dewar @ Caddo
Medford @ Waukomis
Inola @ Adair
Chisholm @ Fairview
Stillwater @ Bixby
Tuttle @ Newcastle
Broken Arrow @ Union
Coweta @ Pryor

Week 0 Pick 'Em Results

8/29/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	MARK 8-4	JACOB 7-5	SHAWN 10-2	BRANDON 8-4	NICK 10-2	FAN PICK 7-4
Shattuck @ Seiling
Crescent @ Cashion
Washington @ Perkins-Tryon
Claremore @ Sallisaw
Wewoka @ Drumright
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Coyle
Broken Bow @ McAlester
Fayetteville @ Stillwater
Bixby @ Owasso
Lincoln Christian @ Jones
Mangum @ Thomas - Fay - Custer
Okeene @ Laverne

Week 0 Pay Dirt Picks

8/25/2026 |  Korry Rogers

	MARK	JACOB	SHAWN	BRANDON	NICK
Shattuck @ Seiling
Crescent @ Cashion
Washington @ Perkins-Tryon
Claremore @ Sallisaw
Wewoka @ Drumright
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Coyle
Broken Bow @ McAlester
Fayetteville @ Stillwater
Bixby @ Owasso
Lincoln Christian @ Jones
Mangum @ Thomas - Fay - Custer
Okeene @ Laverne

Playoff Round 4 Pay Dirt Picks

12/3/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	SHAWN	CHRIS	SHACK	JUSTIN
Weleetka @ Seiling
Dewar @ Laverne
Pocola @ Tonkawa
Washington @ OCS
Ryan @ Medford
Bishop McGuinness @ Carl Albert
Choctaw @ Sand Springs
Fairland @ Talihina
Allen @ Hominy
Rejoice Christian @ Pawhuska
Adair @ Stroud
Davis @ Vian
Marlow @ Jones
Lincoln Christian @ Heritage Hall
Sulphur @ Perkins-Tryon
Elgin @ Cushing
Tuttle @ Broken Bow

Playoff Round 3 Pick Results

11/29/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 7-5 (121-39 75.63%)	MARK 10-2 (126-46 73.26%)	SHAWN 10-2	CHRIS 8-4	SHACK 8-4	JUSTIN 10-2
Medford @ Timberlake
Seiling @ Cherokee
Weleetka @ Okeene
Dewar @ Hollis
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Laverne
Bixby @ Broken Arrow
Jenks @ Owasso
Choctaw @ Stillwater
Putnam City @ Sand Springs
Tipton @ Ryan
Carl Albert @ Newcastle
Bishop McGuinness @ MacArthur

Playoff Round 3 Pay Dirt Picks

11/25/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	SHAWN	CHRIS	SHACK	JUSTIN
Medford @ Timberlake
Seiling @ Cherokee
Weleetka @ Okeene
Dewar @ Hollis
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Laverne
Bixby @ Broken Arrow
Jenks @ Owasso
Choctaw @ Stillwater
Putnam City @ Sand Springs
Tipton @ Ryan
Carl Albert @ Newcastle
Bishop McGuinness @ MacArthur

Playoff Round 2 Pick Results

11/21/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 11-1 (114-34 77.03%)	MARK 11-5 (116-44 72.50%)	JACOB 10-6 (111-35 75.00%)	SHAWN 13-3	SHACK 14-2	CHRIS 15-1
Maud @ Timberlake
Coyle @ Seiling
Okeene @ Wilson Henryetta
Waukomis @ Weleetka
Cyril @ Cherokee
Waurika @ Dewar
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Yale
Allen @ Southwest Covenant
Pocola @ Fairview
Minco @ Tonkawa
Kiefer @ Washington
Kingfisher @ Lincoln Christian
Holdenville @ Adair
Mustang @ Broken Arrow
Grove @ Tuttle
Del City @ MacArthur

Playoff Round 2 Pay Dirt Picks

11/19/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	SHAWN	SHACK	CHRIS
Maud @ Timberlake
Coyle @ Seiling
Okeene @ Wilson Henryetta
Waukomis @ Weleetka
Cyril @ Cherokee
Waurika @ Dewar
Pond Creek - Hunter @ Yale
Allen @ Southwest Covenant
Pocola @ Fairview
Minco @ Tonkawa
Kiefer @ Washington
Kingfisher @ Lincoln Christian
Holdenville @ Adair
Mustang @ Broken Arrow
Grove @ Tuttle
Del City @ MacArthur

Playoff Round 1 Pick Results

11/15/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 9-3 (103-33 75.74%)	MARK 8-4 (105-39 72.92%)	JACOB 8-4 (101-29 76.52%)	SHAWN 8-4	TJ 10-2	RYAN 10-2
Sallisaw @ Grove
Kingfisher @ Lone Grove
Pioneer @ Hollis
Wewoka @ Fairland
Blanchard @ Weatherford
Chandler @ Kiefer
Cashion @ Minco
Chisholm @ Washington
Norman North @ Mustang
Collinsville @ McAlester
Bishop McGuinness @ Guthrie
Dibble @ Hennessey

Playoff Round 1 Pay Dirt Picks

11/14/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	SHAWN	TJ	RYAN
Sallisaw @ Grove
Kingfisher @ Lone Grove
Pioneer @ Hollis
Wewoka @ Fairland
Blanchard @ Weatherford
Chandler @ Kiefer
Cashion @ Minco
Chisholm @ Washington
Norman North @ Mustang
Collinsville @ McAlester
Bishop McGuinness @ Guthrie
Dibble @ Hennessey