Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead this week in what police say was a suicide, but one of McKinley’s former Broncos teammates, Giants defensive back D.J. Johnson, says he can’t believe that’s true.
“I don’t think it happened the way they’re saying it happened,” Johnson said, per Tom Rock of Newsday. “I just don’t. I don’t think it was a suicide. That’s my personal opinion on the situation. I think there’s something fishy about the situation.”
Johnson may not have all the facts available to him that the police have, and grief at the death of his friend may be clouding his view of the matter. But Johnson insists that McKinley had a lot to live for, including his love for his young son, and he suggested that there are criminals in Denver who target players on the Broncos.
“I know what the environment is like in Denver,” he said. “I knew Kenny and I knew the type of people that we all hung around. You just never know. You can’t trust nobody. He’s not from there, I wasn’t from there.”
Johnson worries that McKinley may have been involved in a situation similar to the incident that led to Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams being killed in a drive-by shooting on New Year’s Day 2007.
“In any environment when you have guys in our position who are out having fun, and we’re going to the same environments as normal people and some convicts, however it may happen, it’s going to be an issue,” he said. “We have the financial backing to be able to go in there, have a good time, buy some bottles and stuff like that. Then there are going to be others that are going to look at it, going to see the women gravitate to that, so they’re going to try to match you. Then you get into a pissing contest. And when you get into a pissing contest, people get upset.
“When you get into a pissing contest, people get upset and they get mad about the littlest things, petty stuff. Just jealousy. That can lead to it.”