Who Is Sam McKinney? Meet the Season 21 ‘Bachelorette’ Contestant Who Got Jenn’s 1st Impression Rose
Sam McKinney is one of the contestants on The Bachelorette who caught Jenn Tran’s eye on night one. Fans want to know more about the season 21 star after he got the first impression rose.
Who Is The Bachelorette’s Sam McKinney?
Sam is a contractor from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to his ABC bio. He was born in January 1997, which means he was 27 years old when filming The Bachelorette in 2024. Sam appears to work for a family business, as his LinkedIn lists his job at McKinney Custom Builders.
Some of Sam’s hobbies include “riding motorcycles, golfing, and watching Sons of Anarchy,” per his bio. He is vocal about wanting to settle down with someone and start a family. Sam appears to have strong ties to his religious affiliation, as his Instagram bio says, “He who is filled with love is filled with God himself.”
Before coming on The Bachelorette, Sam was single for "coming up on a year" after ending his engagement to a woman he had known since middle school. "We got engaged and had our life planned out ahead of us but she ended up cheating on me and there was just no repairing that relationship," he revealed. "That was definitely the biggest heartbreak I've ever experienced. But I wasn't going to let that situation right there be something that was going to stop me from chasing my dream, which is to be a husband, to be a father."
Sam McKinney’s Motorcycle Accident
In a preview for season 21 of The Bachelorette, Sam revealed, “I was in a motorcycle accident. One that should have killed me. And I walked away without a scratch. So any opportunity that I get I’m taking it head on.”
Who Do You Want to See as the Next Golden Bachelor?
Where Did Sam McKinney Go to School?
Sam was homeschooled as a child and then attended Socastee High School, according to ABC15. He played on his high school football and baseball teams and then attended Wofford College in South Carolina.
Sam was listed on the 2015 football roster for Wofford. His profile revealed that he was planning on studying pre-engineering at the time.
The South Carolina native clearly spent most of his time in his home state and even revealed that he had never been to the west coast before leaving to film The Bachelorette.
The Bachelorette’s Sam McKinney’s Family
Sam’s Instagram page includes several family photos. His parents are Susan and Jeff McKinney and he appears to have four siblings – sisters Olivia McKinney and Hannah McKinney and brothers Seth McKinney and Charlie McKinney. He appears to be very close with his family members and even officiated his sister’s wedding, according to his bio.
What Happens to Sam McKinney on ‘The Bachelorette’?
Sam received Jenn’s first impression rose on night one of filming The Bachelorette. The lead gives the first impression rose to someone who catches their eye right away, so Sam and Jenn had a connection from the very start. With 25 guys in the mansion at the start of the season, getting chosen for this first impression rose was an important feat.
Jenn also had her first kiss as the Bachelorette with Sam. She had been waiting all night long for the right person to share that moment with and said that things felt “right” when they were together.
As of press time, Steve was not able to confirm exactly how far Sam makes it in the season. However, he is not one of the men in Jenn’s top two, as Steve revealed that Devin Strader and Marcus Shoberg are the finalists.
Sam’s preview seemingly hints that he’ll be getting a one-on-one date at some point in the season, so he’ll likely last for several episodes before being eliminated by Jenn.
The Bachelorette premieres on July 8, 2024, and airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
