Is he a Hall of Famer? Why did watching the Eagles win the Super Bowl suck? What was Andy Reid’s biggest influence on him? What does he think about Chip Kelly?
LeSean McCoy answered these and many other questions in a hilarious and engaging and typically Shady 42-minute podcast appearance this week.
McCoy appeared on the All Things Covered podcast on CBS Sports Podcasts with former NFL cornerbacks Patrick Peterson, a seven-time Pro Bowler, and Bryan McFadden, who won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.
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Shady, a backup with the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs and Buccaneers the last two years, said he hasn’t decided if he’ll retire after 12 years.
His most interesting comments came when Peterson asked him about the Hall of Fame.
“Hopefully, I’ll get a gold jacket,” McCoy said. “Not to brag myself or pump me up. I’ve got the numbers, I’ve got stats, I’ve got two championships, and I’ve been the best running back in my decade. A lot of these dudes, they have three or four good years and they make them the greatest. In my era, I’ve been the best. Everybody can’t say that. And I think that’s what it’s all about.
McCoy, 32, has had six 1,000-yard seasons, four with the Eagles, two with the Bills, averaged 4.5 yards per carry, caught 518 passes and netted 15,000 yards from scrimmage.
NFL
His 4.5 rushing average is higher than 25 of the 38 modern-era running backs in the Hall of Fame, and he has more yards from scrimmage than 26 of them.
McCoy had eight straight seasons with 1,100 scrimmage yards. Only six players had more.
“I see dudes in the Hall of Fame … not to hate, but I’m burying that dude,” he said. “Another thing is ,when I went to Buffalo people thought it wouldn’t be the same because I didn’t have the players around me and I was still holding it down. A lot of those dudes on that (Hall of Fame) list, they’re surrounded by Hall of Fame quarterbacks and Hall of Fame linemen. That makes it easier. I still put numbers up.”
ON THE EAGLES WINNING THE SUPER BOWL: “I was happy for them. It sucked a little bit that I couldn’t be there. All the championships I won, I wish I could have brought one back to Philadelphia. That’s home for me. My hometown’s an hour away, they retired my jersey - since I left, 25 hasn’t been worn - look hard, you ain’t going to see it. So knowing that, it’s like, ‘Dang, I wish I could have brought that back to the city.’ Because I love Philadelphia. That sucked. Watching it was cool, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel that. But I wanted those guys to win for sure.”
ON ANDY REID: “That’s my big guy. Man, I just think about coming into it, I was 20 years old, I was young, I was immature, I come from nothing and I just wanted to play. He gave me a shot. He let me be myself. He changed my life and my family’s life. So forever grateful and thankful. We still text, we still talk. The Super Bowl, ‘Hey, coach, man, ya’all going to lose this game.’ But he’s one of those dudes that everybody loves. His first championship, you should see how many players, coaches, ex-players were rooting for him because he has that thing about him that everybody loves. And the one thing I like about him also he believes in giving guys second chances. A lot of these coaches in this league, man, you do one thing wrong it’s like they mark you. He’s not like that. He’s been through a lot with his family, he’s like, ‘We all make mistakes, who am I not to give this guy a second chance?’ That whole thing we did with Michael Vick, I was so happy for him. Gave him a chance to (revive) his career.”
ON PLAYING FOR THE SUPER BOWL WINNER THE LAST TWO YEARS: “It’s been a nice run. I think about all my prime years when I was really doing it at a high level, but I wasn’t winning and it wasn’t getting to a point where my career was winding down and I’m like, ‘Dang, will I get a ring? Will I get a championship?’ Then things didn’t work out money-wise in Buffalo so I moved on to K.C. and we got a ring (and then) I was considering retiring. I had a couple teams hitting me up, but I was like, ‘I’m done. I’m not going from (Pat) Mahomes and Andy Reid and all that to just play for any team.’ And then Tampa Bay called and I talked to Tom (Brady) and I said I’m going to go to Tampa and sure enough we did it again.”
ON HIS BALL CARRYING STYLE: "Coach Reid when I was a rookie, some of the (assistant) coaches said, ‘Hey, tuck the ball,’ and I was trying to concentrate on tucking the ball and doing all the right things like a robot and Andy Reid said, ‘Let him play his game,’ and as I got older and became who I am I would say, ‘Coach, why would you never make me tuck the ball?’ And he said, ‘I let you play your game. If you fumbled a couple times it would be different, but you draft players to be themselves,’ and that’s why all his draft picks are successful, because he lets them play their game and let their personalities show.”
ON HIS FUTURE: “I’m going to talk to (Bruce Arians) next week. If not the right team I’m going to retire. Been a nice run. It’s got to be the right fit. It’s gotta be a winning environment. When you’re an older player, it’s like, ‘I’m just playing for the money and stats,’ or you just want to be a part of that environment. I did a lot in my career, I’m good, so it’s got to be the right fit.”
ON CHIP KELLY: “Oh my favorite! He was cool, I’ll say this, he was very smart, very intelligent, but I just think the pros (is) different. You can’t treat people bad, you can’t yell at them and all that, treat them like kids. They grown up.”
ON WHY HE DIDN’T GO TO PENN STATE: “That’s when Paterno was still running things and it was different, it was like military academy, so I couldn’t do that.”
ON TOM BRADY BEING TIPSY AT THE SUPER BOWL PARTY: “Tipsy? He was all the way day drunk. He was no tipsy.”
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