University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Kenny McIntosh
October 15, 2020 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Kenny McIntosh grew up in a football family. The Georgia sophomore running back from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has two older brothers that play and their dad was a good high school player.
One of McIntosh's older brothers, RJ, a defensive lineman, played at Miami and is now in his third season with the New York Giants. The other, Deon, is a running back at Washington State after starting his collegiate career at Notre Dame. You can imagine the level of competition around the McIntosh house when they were all young.
Heading into Saturday's big game between No. 3 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama, McIntosh has 17 carries for 80 yards, four receptions for 51 yards and he's been very good returning kickoffs, averaging 42.8 yards on his four attempts. During a Quick Chat after practice Wednesday, McIntosh talked family, football and more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: It's obviously a big week for you guys, playing at Alabama, so how do you keep out the distractions that come with maybe the biggest college football game of the season?
McIntosh: I don't engage with the outside world. I've been doing this all my life and Georgia going against Bama, that's a big-time deal, everybody talks about it, but for me it's just another game on the schedule. It's just another time for me to go out there and compete and show my talent.
Frierson: What was the most important thing you learned from having older brothers that were very good players and playing big-time football ahead of you?
McIntosh: Just having older brothers and being able to look up to them growing up, it's every little boy's dream. My brothers, they just guided me. One brother played the same position as me, so me and him talk a lot. They just guided me and helped me coming up, like when I first got to college they were telling me what I should expect and things to look out for, and just to keep grinding.
My dad really put that in our heads at a young age — competing, that's all we did since I was young. I give that to my father, my father put that in us.
Frierson: Was your dad a really good player, really good athlete, too? You all had to get this ability from somewhere.
McIntosh: We definitely got it from my dad. He played running back at Dillard High School down in Fort Lauderdale, and he was a great running back, but unfortunately he didn't make it in college.
Frierson: We've got Halloween coming up, so what's your favorite Halloween candy?
McIntosh: I'd say Reese's.
Frierson: The Pieces, the Peanut Butter Cups, what are we talking about?
McIntosh: It doesn't really matter, whichever one is available.
Frierson: Did you have a favorite Halloween costume when you were a kid?
McIntosh: I'd say my Spiderman costume, I was real into Spiderman when I was a kid.
Frierson: Do you have any gameday superstitions or rituals? Is there something specific you do before every game?
McIntosh: I really just listen to music and get into my game mode, get my mind right, clear my mind, and go out there and do what I've got to do. I'll put on whatever song I'm feeling at that moment, it just depends on how I'm feeling in the locker room.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
McIntosh: I wish I could sing. I've got a little vocal ability [laughs], but I wish I could sing, I wish I could dance. I used to dance a lot.
Frierson: Who's the best dancer on the team?
McIntosh: It used to be my boy Divaad (Wilson), but on the team right now? That's a tough one — I'd have to give it to J.D. (Jordan Davis). If you know J.D., you know J.D.'s always dancing, in the locker room, when we're outside of the facility, he's going to dance.
Frierson: What other sports did you play growing up?
McIntosh: I also played basketball and I ran a little track in middle school. My dad always wanted to get me into baseball, but I didn't really like it much.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
McIntosh: Yes, I do remember my first dunk. It was never in a game, it was right after a game. I think it was like our homecoming or something like that, so we had all the fans there after the game. We just started doing a little dunk contest and I ended up getting it in there.
Frierson: Do you regret not ever getting one in a game?
McIntosh: Oh, yeah, definitely, I definitely regret that.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?
McIntosh: Let me say being a champion because I haven't won anything in college football yet. Being a champion for one day and seeing how it feels, getting the taste of it, I'm always going to want to taste it again.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Kenny McIntosh grew up in a football family. The Georgia sophomore running back from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has two older brothers that play and their dad was a good high school player.
One of McIntosh's older brothers, RJ, a defensive lineman, played at Miami and is now in his third season with the New York Giants. The other, Deon, is a running back at Washington State after starting his collegiate career at Notre Dame. You can imagine the level of competition around the McIntosh house when they were all young.
Heading into Saturday's big game between No. 3 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama, McIntosh has 17 carries for 80 yards, four receptions for 51 yards and he's been very good returning kickoffs, averaging 42.8 yards on his four attempts. During a Quick Chat after practice Wednesday, McIntosh talked family, football and more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: It's obviously a big week for you guys, playing at Alabama, so how do you keep out the distractions that come with maybe the biggest college football game of the season?
McIntosh: I don't engage with the outside world. I've been doing this all my life and Georgia going against Bama, that's a big-time deal, everybody talks about it, but for me it's just another game on the schedule. It's just another time for me to go out there and compete and show my talent.
Frierson: What was the most important thing you learned from having older brothers that were very good players and playing big-time football ahead of you?
McIntosh: Just having older brothers and being able to look up to them growing up, it's every little boy's dream. My brothers, they just guided me. One brother played the same position as me, so me and him talk a lot. They just guided me and helped me coming up, like when I first got to college they were telling me what I should expect and things to look out for, and just to keep grinding.
My dad really put that in our heads at a young age — competing, that's all we did since I was young. I give that to my father, my father put that in us.
Frierson: Was your dad a really good player, really good athlete, too? You all had to get this ability from somewhere.
McIntosh: We definitely got it from my dad. He played running back at Dillard High School down in Fort Lauderdale, and he was a great running back, but unfortunately he didn't make it in college.
Frierson: We've got Halloween coming up, so what's your favorite Halloween candy?
McIntosh: I'd say Reese's.
Frierson: The Pieces, the Peanut Butter Cups, what are we talking about?
McIntosh: It doesn't really matter, whichever one is available.
Frierson: Did you have a favorite Halloween costume when you were a kid?
McIntosh: I'd say my Spiderman costume, I was real into Spiderman when I was a kid.
Frierson: Do you have any gameday superstitions or rituals? Is there something specific you do before every game?
McIntosh: I really just listen to music and get into my game mode, get my mind right, clear my mind, and go out there and do what I've got to do. I'll put on whatever song I'm feeling at that moment, it just depends on how I'm feeling in the locker room.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
McIntosh: I wish I could sing. I've got a little vocal ability [laughs], but I wish I could sing, I wish I could dance. I used to dance a lot.
Frierson: Who's the best dancer on the team?
McIntosh: It used to be my boy Divaad (Wilson), but on the team right now? That's a tough one — I'd have to give it to J.D. (Jordan Davis). If you know J.D., you know J.D.'s always dancing, in the locker room, when we're outside of the facility, he's going to dance.
Frierson: What other sports did you play growing up?
McIntosh: I also played basketball and I ran a little track in middle school. My dad always wanted to get me into baseball, but I didn't really like it much.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
McIntosh: Yes, I do remember my first dunk. It was never in a game, it was right after a game. I think it was like our homecoming or something like that, so we had all the fans there after the game. We just started doing a little dunk contest and I ended up getting it in there.
Frierson: Do you regret not ever getting one in a game?
McIntosh: Oh, yeah, definitely, I definitely regret that.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?
McIntosh: Let me say being a champion because I haven't won anything in college football yet. Being a champion for one day and seeing how it feels, getting the taste of it, I'm always going to want to taste it again.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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