2011 Cleveland Browns preview: Colt McCoy is here to prove you wrong
Published: Sunday, September 11, 2011, 5:57 AM Updated: Sunday, September 11, 2011, 6:31 AM
By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
The eyes of Browns fans are on quarterback Colt McCoy, and he now carries their hopes to lead a winner in Cleveland.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — It was the dog days of Browns training camp in 2010 and Colt McCoy, the all-time winningest quarterback in NCAA history, was a nobody. Browns President Mike Holmgren told him he'd sit out the year to watch and learn, and the coaching staff ignored him. Some in the media even speculated he might not survive the final roster cut.
Undaunted, he called his former Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis and said: "Coach, they're telling me I'm not going to play this year, but I will. I'll start games for the Browns this season."
Davis sat back in his chair and smiled. He remembered a scrawny little freshman looking across that same desk at him in 2006 and announcing, "I'm going to be the best quarterback you've ever had." Yeah, Davis didn't doubt for a second that McCoy would start for the Browns last year. Because he knew something the Browns didn't yet: that McCoy was the most driven kid on the planet -- and more determined than anyone he'd ever met to prove you wrong.
Colt McCoy was born into football, the game encoded on his DNA. His father, Brad, was a high school coach in small towns in Texas, where Friday night lights ruled. "It was either football season or fixin' to be football season," said McCoy's best boyhood friend, Cam Holson. As legend has it, McCoy was actually born in New Mexico, but while his mom was in labor, Brad raced 20 miles to the Texas border, filled a shoebox with dirt and placed it under the delivery table so Colt could be born on Texas soil.
McCoy's real first name is Daniel, after the prophet in the lion's den, but they called him by his middle name, Colt, which had more of a Texas vibe. Like his son, Brad had a dream to play big-time college and pro football, but a knee injury took care of that. He ended up playing for Abilene Christian, where his father, Daddy Burl McCoy -- a former top collegiate hurdler -- coached track and women's basketball. It's also where Brad met McCoy's mom, Debra, who played basketball for Daddy Burl.
When Colt was 3, the McCoys moved back to Texas to be near Daddy Burl's sprawling ranch, and along came two more boys, Chance and Case. Brad had feelers from bigger 5A powerhouses, but opted for smaller 2A schools so he could raise country boys like himself. The house was filled with love, laughter and roughhousing. "We were so competitive, we'd see who could eat something the fastest at the dinner table," said Brad.
The McCoys were committed Christians who often spent summer vacations at church camps, and Colt even performed at religious events around the country with the McCoy Family Singers.
As a youngster, McCoy was Brad's sidekick on the field and in the office. He dreamed of being a quarterback and loved watching the coaches diagram plays. Once, as a 6-year-old ballboy, McCoy tugged on his dad's headset-wire during a game and yelled, "Daddy, run the screen, run the screen!" The San Saba Armadillos were struggling and Colt knew what to do. Brad tried to shoo the boy away, but he persisted. "Run the screen, dad!" With little to lose, Brad shrugged and tried it. The screen led to a TD and the Armadillos won.
The McCoys were strict and taught their boys to set lofty goals. Every day when Brad dropped Colt off for school, he'd say, "Have a good day, do your best . . ." and then Colt would finish . . . "and be a leader."
From early on, McCoy worked on things relentlessly until he got it right. Daddy Burl once found him outside in the driveway perfecting a Jordan-like crossover dribble move in the freezing cold. He'd throw a football through a tire until his arm ached and was always the last to leave practice. He'd watch films of his mom playing basketball to emulate her scrappy defense.
Junior and high school
When McCoy was in sixth grade, Brad took the head coaching job at Jim Ned High in Tuscola, a tiny west Texas outpost about 15 miles south of Abilene. Population: 726. One bank, one restaurant, three churches, one flashing yellow light and a five-story water tower. The 2A high school was the crown jewel, with 325 kids from Tuscola and neighboring towns.
colt mccoy high school.JPGView full sizeTommy Metthe, Abilene Reporter-NewsColt McCoy was a star at Jim Ned High School in Texas.
The McCoys moved on to a 10-acre spread, where they raised cows and goats, and had a donkey named Taco. They were a half-hour away from Daddy Burl and GranJan's ranch, where the boys baled hay and fed the animals.
When McCoy was gearing up for seventh-grade football, a nutritionist urged the team to eat right and give up sodas. Soon after, Colt, who sometimes guzzled six Dr. Peppers a day, downed his last one and swore them off -- forever. "Nothing was going to slow him down," said Brad.
Brad helped coach the junior high so he could develop Colt, and by his second game, a dad from the opposing team told Brad, "he's going to win the Heisman one day." Behind McCoy's uncanny accuracy and nimble feet, his junior high and junior varsity teams went a combined 28-0.
Despite that, some in Tuscola felt McCoy didn't deserve the varsity job. "Colt had to work harder and be better than everyone else to prove himself," said Holson, who was McCoy's No. 1 target, best friend and the son of a Jim Ned defensive assistant.
Brad was so careful to not play favorites that a player once asked him to ease up on Colt. When McCoy asked what it would take to play in college and the pros, his dad said, "set yourself apart." For McCoy, that meant outworking everyone else.
In addition to swearing off sodas, he was asleep by 9:30 p.m. and rarely needed his midnight curfew. He shunned alcohol in high school and worked so hard in the weight room that teammates followed suit. "He wanted to throw a football all day long and I was happy to oblige," said Holson. "Whatever Colt was doing, you wanted to do it, too."
From the time he was little, McCoy longed to play at a powerhouse like Texas or Texas Tech, and then in the NFL. Problem was, the skinny kid -- 6-0, 170 pounds at the time -- from the 2A school wasn't on their radar. In fact, no one from Jim Ned had ever played Division I football.
The summer before his junior year, McCoy attended a camp at Texas, which was coming off back-to-back 11-2 seasons under Mack Brown. The camp drew 300 kids, including 50 quarterbacks. Midway through, McCoy realized he was invisible to the coaches. On the way home he told his dad, "I know you don't think this, but I'm going to be the starting quarterback at Texas someday." Brad didn't argue. "I knew we were in trouble, because Colt was on a mission."
In an effort to capture Texas' attention, Colt decided he'd have to win the 2A state title as a junior. He also knew he'd have to bulk up. He drank protein shakes, lifted twice a day and gained 10 pounds. The more he won, the more big-time college coaches trekked to Tuscola, where the crowds swelled to 1,000. "It was no big deal to see Big 12 coaches walking around at our practices," said Holson. "But Colt never acknowledged it."
Finally, Texas sent an assistant, and he found a fiery field general with great zip on the ball and stunning accuracy. As planned, McCoy led his team to a 14-0 record and the 2A title game. But McCoy smacked his hand on a helmet and could barely grip the ball. The Indians lost, 28-7, and McCoy knelt frozen at midfield and cried.
Suddenly, the impact struck Brad: it was the first time McCoy had ever lost a football game. His record since seventh grade: 50-1. As a junior, he threw 50 TD passes and threw for almost 4,000 yards, both state marks.
On to Texas
After that, Brad was deluged with calls from most of the college football powerhouses such as Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, all the Big 12 schools, you name it. After Christmas break, then-Longhorns offensive coordinator Greg Davis came to Jim Ned for a look. "Everybody else looked like they belonged at a 2A school, but not Colt," recalled Davis. "Did I know he'd become a two-time Heisman runner-up and the winningest quarterback in NCAA history? No, but I saw enough to know I wanted him to lead our team."
Colt McCoy followed a legend at Texas in Vince Young, but he more than held his own, becoming the winningest quarterback in NCAA history.
It was actually on the basketball court that McCoy, who also led his team to the state title game in basketball, sold Davis.
"When you watch someone play without a helmet, you can see their facial expressions, their peripheral vision," said Davis. "I could see his quickness and his lateral movement. His teammates snapped to his attention."
On tape, Davis saw the two things he was looking for. "No. 1, he was accurate with the football and much more athletic than people realized," Davis said. "No. 2, he had the ability to ad-lib and extend plays. I felt he was going to be our guy."
That spring, the McCoys visited Brown in his office overlooking Darrell K Royal Stadium. Brown dripped with Texas charm, but needn't have: he had McCoy at hello. Right there, McCoy verbally committed to Texas.
Two weeks before National Signing Day, Brown stunned Tuscola with a visit, signing autographs and visiting the elementary school where McCoy's mom taught phys ed. But shortly after McCoy signed his letter of intent, he was slammed by the press. A small kid from a 2A school? Surely he'd never make it. The recruiting class was downgraded to No. 20 nationally. More fuel for the fire.
On campus, McCoy soon realized he was no longer on the farm, having gone from 70 kids in his graduating class to 3,000 in his dorm complex alone. What's more, the athletic dorm was filthy and loud. But McCoy, at the urging of Daddy Burl, committed himself to his faith. He and receiver Jordan Shipley, a boyhood friend whose father played with Brad at Abilene Christian, went to church every week and hung out.
When McCoy first showed up at Texas, he was 179 pounds and, Brown said, looked like "a skinned squirrel." But Texas quarterback Vince Young welcomed him and taught him everything. He even let McCoy throw some passes at his first players-only practice.
With Young having two years of eligibility remaining, McCoy was redshirted as a freshman. But he followed Young like a puppy, preparing as though he were starting. The Longhorns went 12-0 that season, were ranked No. 2, then faced No. 1 USC in the BCS National Championship Game in the Rose Bowl. The night before the game, Young called McCoy over and broke the news: he was leaving early for the NFL and handing the reins over to McCoy.
"I was shocked," said McCoy. "I couldn't sleep at all that night. I just stared at the ceiling. All of a sudden, it was my team." A blue-chip recruit named Jevan Snead from a 4A school in Texas had verbally committed, but McCoy vowed he'd win the job.
Late in the title game, Young approached McCoy during a timeout and told him to take notes. "You'll be here some day," McCoy recalled in his book "Growing Up Colt," written with his dad. With seconds to go, Young ran in for a TD on fourth down to win the national championship.
A few days later, McCoy met with Davis in his office. "He told me, 'Coach, I'm ready. I'm going to be the best you've ever had,' " Davis said. "Big, strapping Vince Young had just won the national championship and I felt like I had Pee Wee Herman sitting across from me. I said, 'That's great Colt. Now go hit the weight room.' "
That summer, McCoy organized scrimmages the way Young had shown him. He took attendance and contacted absent players. His teammates were so impressed they told Brown that McCoy was their guy. The baby-faced freshman looked like a boy among men, but commanded the attention of even the NFL-bound linemen.
In his debut against North Texas, McCoy threw three TD passes en route to a 56-7 blowout. McCoy and the Longhorns lost their next game, to top-ranked Ohio State, but went on to win their next eight games. Suddenly, he was a campus phenom and a national star.
In 2008, the Longhorns started 8-0, but lost to Texas Tech on a last-second touchdownn to cost themselves a shot at the Big 12 championship and BCS title game. Instead, Texas earned a trip to the Fiesta Bowl to play Ohio State, where McCoy threw a TD pass with 16 seconds remaining for a 24-21 come-from-behind victory. The Longhorns finished 12-1 and McCoy was the game's MVP.
McCoy was also one of three finalists for Heisman Trophy that year, along with Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford, with whom he became close friends. McCoy finished as the runner-up to Bradford in a close race.
As a senior, McCoy led Texas to the BCS Championship Game against top-ranked Alabama, but on the fifth play of the game, he was hit from behind by defensive end Marcell Dareus and a pain rippled through his shoulder. He popped up to run another play, but his arm was dead. In the locker room, he couldn't hold it out straight or throw the ball 10 yards to his dad. Still, he gave a pep talk at halftime and stood on the sidelines in uniform for the second half of a 37-21 Alabama victory.
"The fact he had to stand there and watch, it was torture to him and torture to us," said Brad.
Asked by ESPN how it felt to be on the sidelines, McCoy said, "God is in control of my life and I know that if nothing else, I am standing on the rock." The speech went viral on the Internet and got almost 300,000 hits on YouTube.
Soon after, he was diagnosed with a serious nerve injury in his shoulder that would require rehab, but no surgery. Problem was, the feeling in his arm was gone and he had no idea when it was coming back.
"The truth of it was, I didn't know if I was ever going to play again," he said.
McCoy still went through with his elaborate plans a few days later to propose to his girlfriend, Rachel Glandorf. When they first met, Glandorf, then working for a TV station in Austin, had no desire to date an athlete and turned him down numerous times. "I thought I had no chance," said McCoy. "It made me try even harder." While in the Longhorns' stadium, McCoy's proposal flashed in brilliant lights on the gigantic scoreboard. Of course, she said yes.
Colt to the pros
For the first month after his injury, McCoy still had no feeling in his arm. "I had no hope," he said.
At the NFL Combine in February, he didn't throw, and teams were concerned. They also weren't impressed with his 6-11/2 height. "Another inch taller and I probably would've been a first-rounder," said McCoy. "It just drives me ever more."
By the time his Pro Day rolled around, McCoy had enough arm strength to complete 55-of-55 attempts. Little did he know that the arm strength would be fleeting. But at least one team was very interested: the Cleveland Browns. Holmgren had received rave reviews on McCoy from his friend, former NFL coach and current broadcaster Jon Gruden, who worked McCoy out for his televised quarterback special. "I knew they liked me," said McCoy. "Coach Holmgren even reminded me that he coached two Hall of Famers who were my size."
The criticism didn't stop McCoy from declaring himself the best quarterback in the draft. But the first round came and went with no call. In the second round, the Browns picked T.J. Ward and Montario Hardesty. "The cameras showed Colt and I knew that look on his face," said Holson. "I could see the little chip on his shoulder growing."
Finally, the Browns selected McCoy in the third round with the 85th pick overall -- long after Bradford was picked No. 1 and Tebow was taken 25th overall. "Colt was thrilled with where he was going, just not happy he lasted that long," said Holson.
More fuel for the fire.
By rookie camp the next week, Holmgren announced that McCoy wouldn't play in 2010, that his job was to watch and learn behind Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. In training camp, McCoy was virtually overlooked by the staff. Still, he was chastised for making mistakes in preseason games. Soon, he got the impression that coach Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll didn't want him.
"Colt had been around coaches his whole life," said Brad. "He knew the signals."
Finally, speculation hit the press that McCoy might not survive the final cut. "I was like, 'Whoa, I haven't even had a chance to do anything yet,' " said McCoy. "That's when I went out and completed 13-of-13 in the final preseason game."
During that training camp, Holmgren consoled McCoy from his golf cart on the practice fields and during visits in Holmgren's office. "I just tried to keep his head up," said Holmgren.
During one of those trips to Holmgren's office, McCoy pointed to the photos on the wall of Holmgren with Hall of Famer Joe Montana and future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, and McCoy announced, "coach, someday I'll be right up there on the wall with those guys." Holmgren smiled and thought, "Easy, big fella."
During camp, McCoy never let on that his arm was bothering him, but the strength wasn't there. "The deep balls fluttered," he said. "I just kept pushing through it."
In the opener in Tampa, Delhomme suffered a high ankle sprain and gutted out the game. Seneca Wallace replaced him, but also went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 4 against Atlanta. McCoy sidled up to Mangini, hoping he'd put him in, but he opted for the gimpy Delhomme, who re-injured the ankle in the second half and missed the next six weeks.
At the facility on Monday, McCoy figured the Browns were calling quarterbacks. Instead, Mangini told him he'd start that Sunday against the 3-1 Steelers. In Blitzburgh. Against the No. 1 defense in the NFL. Against Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. In Big Ben Roethlisberger's first game back from a suspension.
But McCoy wasn't nervous. "I had waited for that moment all season long," he said.
After the team dinner the night before the game, McCoy addressed the team. In his book, he shared his speech. "Everyone in here is scared stiff about a rookie going into Pittsburgh and having his first start. If you want to be scared, be scared. I'm not scared. I'm ready to play. I'm excited. I'm fired up. . . . Our game tomorrow is going to be the start of something great. . . . The hay is in the barn."
Veteran corner Sheldon Brown shook his head. "I was thinking 'This poor kid. I hope he's ready,' " said Brown. "Then he went out and showed me."
The Browns lost, 28-10, but McCoy showed tremendous poise and mobility, far exceeding expectations.
He went on to lead the Browns to victories over the defending Super Bowl champion Saints and the Patriots, who finished 14-2, and an overtime loss to the playoff-bound Jets. "That four-game stretch led me to believe he could be our guy," said Holmgren.
McCoy later suffered a high ankle sprain of his own and came back at the end of the season, throwing six interceptions the final two games. Although he never admitted it, his arm was still bothering him."'"
In the off-season, McCoy not only let his arm heal, but also organized four "Camp Colts" to prepare the team during the lockout, and spent time working with Favre in Mississippi.
"He should be a fine player in this league for a long, long time," said Holmgren.
McCoy's goal with the Browns is to win a Super Bowl.
"I lost in the state championship in high school and I missed a chance to win the BCS title game," he said. "I definitely have some unfinished business. My hope and dream is to lead the Browns to a championship."
Especially if you tell him he can't.
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