Former Longhorns QB Colt McCoy announced his return back with full commitment…
The beloved Texas Longhorn quarterback who could have had it all, but was devastatingly injured in the National Championship game by the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Colt McCoy became a Longhorn legend while playing for Mack Brown and the dominant Texas team. Over four seasons with the Horns, McCoy finished his collegiate career with an impressive 45-8 overall record.
Unfortunately, after being hurt in the national title game, McCoy’s stock fell and he wasn’t selected until the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
So, since finishing his time in Austin and earning a spot in the NFL, where has McCoy’s career taken the former Longhorn?
Due to injuries of the Browns’ first two quarterbacks, Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, McCoy earned his first career start in Week 6 of his rookie season.
Over three seasons with Cleveland, McCoy earned his first 4,388 passing yards in the NFL and scored 22 total touchdowns.
Throughout his career in the league, McCoy was most consistently a backup quarterback for the five teams he earned a spot on.
During his thirteen-year tenure in the NFL, the former Longhorn supported the likes of Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, and other starting quarterbacks in the league.
Many Texas fans still wonder, to this day, what would have become of the Longhorns against Alabama had McCoy not gotten hurt. They should also ask what would have become of McCoy’s career in the NFL if he had remained healthy.
In the offseason following the 2023 season, McCoy has been rehabbing an injury and has told the media that he’s still open to playing in 2024.
However, the former Texas star has also expressed interest in coaching, as well as (more surprisingly) politics.
With a school that has a storied history, there are plenty of legends to discuss. There are plenty to choose from from head coaches like Darrell K. Royal to Mack Brown and quarterbacks like James Street to Vince Young and Colt McCoy. We didn’t even dive into the legendary running back duo that won Heisman Trophies for their campaigns.
When choosing the top players of the modern era, one Texas Longhorn stood head and shoulders above the rest of the names you could put up. Vince Young put this team on his shoulders and carried them to the school’s fourth national championship ending USC’s dynasty.
Without a doubt, Vince Young is one of the top five players since 2000. However, I have a hard time ranking him behind a quarterback who never won a national championship. While Baker Mayfield did win a Heisman Trophy, VY was robbed of the trophy but got the last laugh over Reggie Bush when he led Texas to the BCS national championship in a game that many still talk about 20 years later.
Just missing out on this list is former Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson, who was a tackling machine for the Longhorns’ defense. The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee was a two-time All-American and 2004 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year tallied nine interceptions including one for a touchdown. He also finished No. 3 in Texas history with 458 career tackles and No. 1 with 65 TFLs.
It is a bit surprising to not see Colt McCoy listed, you could make an argument for the Longhorns’ all-time passing leader not being considered at all.
