McCoy a True Champion
*Beginning in 2010, I began a bi-weekly column, “From Richard’s Oft Cluttered Desk” which appears every other Wednesday.
I have made no secret of my disdain for the BCS but the national championship game last Thursday night provided a different story. As a former student and a fan of the FCS (formerly I-AA college football), I don’t get into the major programs of college football.
I am a “fan” of the Florida Gators, Iowa State Cyclones and the Penn State Nittany Lions. But beyond that, I don’t much care. But, in honor of picking sides, I was cheering for the Texas Longhorns. Colt McCoy is the only real reason why I was cheering for them.
In McCoy, the sports world has a talented young man, but also a class act. He is the winingest quarterback in college football history. He is a senior and this was his last chance at a championship. He had everything but this and Thursday night was meant to be his coronation.
It as not to be. On the fifth offensive play, with McCoy running, he was hit and his college career was complete. He spent the rest of the first half in the locker-room getting x-rays and talking with the trainers and his father. I was pulled to think what I would tell me son in that same situation. Would I say go and play through it son? McCoy had worked for this moment his whole life. Or would I tell him to focus on his future? McCoy is bound to be a top 60 pick in this springs NFL draft.
Luckily, his injury was bad enough that he wasn’t able to come back. But it begs the question: What if he could have controlled his throws but further injury was a possibility? What would I have told my son?
As a senior in college, about to make millions, I would have let my son make his own choice. For the second half, McCoy stood on the sideline with a headset on. He cheered on his teammates.
In a post game interview, McCoy was asked about the injury and about not being able to play. He paused and my heart went out to him. For nine long seconds he tried to find the words. But they couldn’t come.
He answered with an elegance that comes so little in sports and so often in our hearts. He said he played his whole for this moment. That was proud of the way his teammates fought. He said he was standing on the Rock.
I hope all the Pop Warner players and youth baseball players and young athletes everywhere were watching that moment. McCoy showed through is injury and interview; the human side of sports, an honest appreciation for the pain and joy of his story and a gratitude seldom seem and often needed.
Related posts:
Comments
Leave a Reply