Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB LeSean McCoy has had a great career. In 12 seasons, with the Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, McCoy has rushed for 11,102 yards and 73 touchdowns on the ground.
Last season, after getting released by the Bills, the six-time Pro Bowler signed with the Chiefs, and ultimately, he would get his first ring as Kansas City defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl 54.
Now, the 32-year-old McCoy is back in the Super Bowl. This time with the Buccaneers, and just like in Kansas City, McCoy does not have a big role, but he has become a mentor to some of the Buccaneers’ younger backs.
On Tuesday, McCoy discussed how his role as a mentor came about.
“I kind of grew into it in Kansas City [last season],” McCoy said about becoming a mentor. “I started out learning the offense, and then eventually, I became the starter. I got banged up, and I missed a game or so, and then the backup running backs started playing well – [Damien] Williams took off, so they decided to go with the younger guy. That was tough at first, but over there, you have to check your ego. They have so many good offensive players. That kind of was like the stepping stone, so I was like, ‘If I’m not starting and I’m not playing, how can I affect the game?’ The best way I could do that was help the guys from my experience. Knowing where the reads should go, where the ball should go [and] how to become a better player.”
When he signed with Tampa Bay in the offseason, McCoy, who rushed for only 31 yards in 2020, expected to have a bigger role with the team, but once the Buccaneers signed Leonard Fournette, he knew his role would change.
“In the beginning, I was going to be the guy – the backup guy. Do the passing [plays], third downs, and be the backup to ‘RoJo’ (Ronald Jones II),” McCoy said. “Then, [Leonard] Fournette got released, and he came here, and I knew the writing on the wall. You pay him the big bucks; he’s a big name, he’s young, he’s still very, very talented. He started playing, and my role changed. Me just being a veteran, at this point, I want to win.”
As his career winds down, McCoy has thought about the end, and if Tampa Bay wins on Sunday, the end could come after Super Bowl 55.
“I’m always thinking about this all the time – especially now – just how my career has been from being a guy and a franchise player, to now being older and asked to do different things for my role,” McCoy said. “You look at the winning – if I can help the young guys out and we’re winning, and I’m back in a championship game and the Super Bowl – things like that make it hard to make a decision to call it quits. I always ask myself that. Then, the other part is that I’m sure I can go to any team, be the second or third back, and I think about that – playing longer. It’s a hard question. I talk to Frank Gore a lot – he’s one of my guys who I talk to about different things like that. It’s up in the air. If I get two championships with all my resume, it might be over. But you never know, so I think I’ll just take it every day, and I’ll revisit that when the time presents itself.”
What McCoy does next will be interesting. His days as a feature back are probably done, so if the Buccaneers can win on Sunday night, McCoy could end his career with back-to-back titles, which is an excellent way to end it. We’ll see what happens.
Leave a Reply