Kool-Aid McKinstry responds to being replaced at punt returner

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama made a change at punt returner in its victory over Chattanooga on Saturday, replacing veteran Kool-Aid McKinstry with a true freshman in Caleb Downs. 

The move came after McKinstry fumbled a punt on his second return of the afternoon. Downs stepped in for the junior in the first quarter and was back deep for the final seven punts of the 66-10 win. He returned a third-quarter punt 85 yards for a touchdown to give the Crimson Tide a 52-10 lead and marked the team’s third non-offensive touchdown of the season.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, McKinstry was asked about the change on special teams.  

“I’m just here for the team,” McKinstry told local reporters. “Whenever my number is called, that’s when I would step up. Caleb did a good job this weekend. I feel like he’s stepped up into the role and did a great job in scoring a touchdown and just going out there and making sure he did well for the team. When my number is called, I’ll be ready.” 

Saturday marked the second game in a row that McKinstry has lost the ball as a returner. In the win over UTC, at least, Alabama was able to recover his fumble, but it did lead to McKinstry being replaced. This coming a year after he finished second nationally with an average of 15.86 yards per return and picked up second-team All-America honors from the FWAA.

Downs held onto the role for the remainder of the non-conference game, which saw him either return the punts, field them on fair catches or watch them roll into the end zone for touchbacks. After the win, Nick Saban discussed the decision behind making mid-game the switch.

“We’ve got confidence in him,” Saban said. “We’ve got confidence in (Isaiah Bond). I’ve got confidence in Kool-Aid, but he should have returned the first one and fair caught it. And then he shouldn’t have even fielded the second one and he fumbled it. Sometimes when you’re in that position, confidence is really, really important, and we’ve got to get his confidence back.

“Caleb’s got confidence. Obviously, he did a great job on the middle return he ran today. He made somebody miss and hit it up the shoot, and guys did a good job of fitting and finishing on their blocks. And he only had to beat the punter and did a good job of that.”

McKinstry remains in the starting lineup on defense as Alabama’s right cornerback and will be making his third start against Auburn on Saturday, Nov. 25. The last time the Tide traveled to Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2021, McKinstry was a true freshman and produced a key pass breakup on a two-point conversion in quadruple overtime to help lift Alabama to a 24-22.

He shared his advice to Downs ahead of his first-ever road start in the Iron Bowl rivalry.

“I would just tell Caleb to be himself,” McKinstry said. “He already knows what he needs to do as a player. He’s a good player, and he prepares the right way, he does everything the right way. So I’d just tell him to be himself. That’s all I’d tell him for any game or any time he asks me any question, just be yourself. I know we trust in him, and we know he’s going to do his job.”

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