Colt McCoy has spent the majority of the last two decades in the football spotlight. The stage will soon change for him.
McCoy is calling it a career, trading his helmet and pads for a microphone after 14 years (12 season) in the NFL. McCoy told NFL Network's Peter Schrager on Monday that he is retiring from the game and transitioning to the broadcast booth, where he'll join NBC Sports for its expanded Big Ten football coverage this season.
McCoy became a household name as a three-star prospect-turned-hero at Texas, where he emerged as a talented freshman tasked with replacing newly minted Texas legend Vince Young at quarterback. McCoy captured the hearts and minds of fans well beyond Austin over four memorable seasons. McCoy set (and reset) a number of passing records during his time with the Longhorns, won almost every significant award available to the top collegiate quarterbacks (Maxwell, O'Brien, Unitas Golden Arm, Manning, etc.), and capped his career by leading the Longhorns to a perfect 13-0 mark and a BCS National Championship Game berth in his senior season. In what would prove to be a sign of things to come, a shoulder injury forced McCoy out of that game against Alabama, leaving McCoy on the sideline watching helplessly as his teammates fell to the Crimson Tide, 37-21.
McCoy officially made his jump to the NFL when the Cleveland Browns spent the 85th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft on him, then tossed him into an unwinnable situation. Because of injuries to other quarterbacks, the Browns forced McCoy -- who was drafted with a focus on long-term development, not immediate contribution -- into action in Week 6 of his rookie season for his first NFL start against the menacing Pittsburgh Steelers, who teed off on the quarterback and set the tone for much of his career with the Browns.
He would go on to start 21 games for Cleveland, posting a 6-15 record while playing for two different coaches (Eric Mangini, Pat Shurmur). By his third (and final) season with the Browns, McCoy was nothing more than a backup behind Brandon Weeden before Cleveland traded him to San Francisco in 2013.
The journeyman career commenced in San Francisco, where McCoy appeared in four games in 2013 before signing with Washington in 2014. He'd serve as an experienced backup quarterback for the rest of his career, spending five years in Washington, where he appeared in 12 games (seven starts) over that span. McCoy would round out his career with the Giants and Cardinals, earning praise for his dedication to the mental side of the game and willingness to help his teammates in his final seasons in Arizona.
Throughout the back end of his career, he was considered by many to be a reliable option in case of emergency under center, a quarterback capable of keeping the ship afloat for a temporary period. It never lived up to the hype that followed him from Texas, but 12 seasons is also nothing to scoff at.
With decades of high-level experience earned in the sport, McCoy can walk away with pride in his efforts and achievements. He'll be bringing that wisdom to a television or streaming device near you soon.