Takkarist McKinley PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 27: Takkarist McKinley of UCLA reacts after being picked #26 overall by the Atlanta Falcons during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Sometimes emotions get the best of you. But who really cares in the case of defensive end Takkarist McKinley, who was drafted No. 26 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in Thursday’s draft.

McKinley was raised by his late grandmother, and he promised her one day he would make it to the NFL. So when he gave NFL Network’s Deion Sanders an interview while holding a framed portrait of his grandma, he gave an emotional speech and accidentally said a certain word that begins with F that you’re not supposed to say on television.

Fine me later! That’s almost as quotable as “Take that for data!”

But seriously, how can you not root for this guy now?

McKinley has the potential to add a great deal to a Falcons defense that came into the draft looking to upgrade its pass rush. He was a beast at UCLA, and the only thing potentially holding him back right now is a shoulder injury, which could keep him out through training camp.

About Jesse Kramer

Jesse is a writer and editor for The Comeback. He has also worked for SI.com and runs The Catch and Shoot, a college basketball website based in Chicago. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow Jesse on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer.