Colt McCoy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Colt McCoy

McCoy with the Washington Redskins in 2017
No. 12, 9, 16
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1986-09-05) September 5, 1986 (age 38) Hobbs, New Mexico, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:	Jim Ned (Tuscola, Texas)
College:	Texas (2005–2009)
NFL Draft:	2010 / Round: 3 / Pick: 85
Career history
Cleveland Browns (2010) San Francisco 49ers (2013) Washington Redskins (2014) New York Giants (2020) Arizona Cardinals (2021)
Career highlights and awards
Maxwell Award (2009) Davey O'Brien Award (2009) Manning Award (2009) Chic Harley Award (2009) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2009) Quarterback of the Year (2009) 2× Walter Camp Award (2008, 2009) Archie Griffin Award (2008) SN College Athlete of the Year (2009) Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (2009) Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (2006) Unanimous All-American (2009) Consensus All-American (2008) First-team All-Big 12 (2009) 2× Second-team All-Big 12 (2006, 2008) Texas Longhorns No. 12 retired
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 1,220 Passing completions: 764 Completion percentage: 62.6% TD–INT: 34–32 Passing yards: 7,975 Passer rating: 79.9
Player stats at PFR

Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American former professional football player. He was a quarterback for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns. There, he won many awards and became one of the most successful college quarterbacks ever. McCoy was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the 2010 NFL draft. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, and Arizona Cardinals. He was mostly a backup quarterback in the NFL.

Early Life and High School Football

Colt McCoy was born in Hobbs, New Mexico. He grew up in Tuscola, Texas, and went to Jim Ned High School. His dad was his football coach in high school. Colt was an amazing high school player. He threw for over 9,300 yards and 116 touchdowns. He is one of the top passers in Texas high school history.

Colt also played punter and safety. After getting a concussion playing safety, his dad stopped him from playing defense. In 2003, he led his team to the Texas 2A State Championship game.

College Career at Texas

McCoy went to the University of Texas at Austin. He played for the Texas Longhorns from 2005 to 2009. He was the starting quarterback for four years, from 2006 to 2009. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player every year he started.

2005 Season: Learning the Ropes

As a freshman, Colt took a redshirt year. This meant he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. This was during the Longhorns' national championship season. He learned a lot by practicing against the starting defense.

2006 Season: Freshman Star

McCoy hands off to Jamaal Charles against Ohio State.

Colt became the starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman. He led the Longhorns to a big win in his first game. He was the first Texas freshman quarterback to start and win a season opener since 1944. In his second game, Texas played against #1 Ohio State. Ohio State won, ending Texas's 21-game winning streak.

Later that season, McCoy set a Texas record by throwing six touchdown passes in one game against Baylor. He also broke the single-season Texas record for passing touchdowns. In a game against Kansas State, he got a shoulder injury. He was able to return for the 2006 Alamo Bowl, where he tied the NCAA freshman record for touchdown passes with 29.

2007 Season: Facing Challenges

McCoy on the sidelines during a game against Kansas State.

After a great freshman year, McCoy got a lot of attention. He was even on the cover of a football magazine. He was also on watch lists for major awards like the Heisman Trophy.

The Longhorns started the season strong. However, McCoy had a tough game against Kansas State, throwing four interceptions. He also suffered a concussion in that game. The team then lost to Oklahoma. Despite these challenges, McCoy led Texas to a big win in the 2007 Holiday Bowl. He was named the offensive MVP of that game.

2008 Season: Record-Breaking Year

McCoy preparing to throw a 65-yard touchdown pass.

In 2008, McCoy continued to break records. He became the all-time leader in passing touchdowns for Texas. He also set new records for total touchdowns and career passing yards. He was known as a "dual-threat" quarterback because he was good at both passing and running.

The Longhorns started the season with eight straight wins. This included a big victory over then-#1 Oklahoma. Texas reached the #1 ranking in the country. McCoy finished the season with an amazing 76.7% completion rate. This was a new NCAA record. He led Texas to a 24–21 win over Ohio State in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. He was named the Offensive Player of the Game.

2009 Season: Chasing a Championship

McCoy throws a pass against Baylor.

In his final college season, McCoy led the Longhorns to a perfect 12–0 regular season. They also won the Big 12 Championship. He became the winningest quarterback in NCAA history with 45 career wins.

McCoy was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy again, finishing third. He led Texas to the 2010 BCS National Championship Game against Alabama. Sadly, he injured his right shoulder early in the game and couldn't finish. Alabama won the game. His final record as a college starter was 45 wins and 8 losses.

College Statistics

Season	Games			Passing								Rushing
	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
Texas Longhorns
2005	Redshirt
2006	13	13	10–3	217	318	68.2	2,570	8.1	29	7	161.8	68	170	2.5	2
2007	13	13	10–3	276	424	65.1	3,303	7.8	22	18	139.2	114	510	4.5	4
2008	13	13	12–1	332	433	76.7	3,859	8.9	34	8	173.8	136	561	4.1	11
2009	14	14	13–1	332	470	70.6	3,521	7.5	27	12	147.4	129	348	2.7	3
Total	53	53	45–8	1,157	1,645	70.3	13,253	8.1	112	45	155.0	447	1,589	3.6	20

College Records and Awards

Colt McCoy holds many records for the University of Texas. He also set some Big 12 and NCAA records.

• Most career wins by a starting quarterback (45).
• Highest single-season completion percentage (76.7%).
• Most career passing yards (13,253).
• Most career touchdown passes (112).

He won many awards, including:

• Walter Camp Award (twice)
• Maxwell Award
• Davey O'Brien Award
• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
• Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (twice)
• His jersey number 12 was retired by the Texas Longhorns.

Professional Career in the NFL

Colt McCoy was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was the 85th player picked overall.

Cleveland Browns (2010–2012)

McCoy takes a snap at Browns 2010 Training Camp.

The Browns initially planned for McCoy to learn and not play much in his first year. However, due to injuries to other quarterbacks, he started his first NFL game in Week 6 of the 2010 season. He showed promise, leading the Browns to upset wins over the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots. He finished his rookie season starting 8 games.

In 2011, McCoy became the Browns' starting quarterback. He played in 13 games. In Week 14, he suffered a concussion after a hit. This injury caused him to miss the rest of the season. In 2012, he was a backup quarterback for the Browns.

San Francisco 49ers (2013)

In 2013, McCoy was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. He played in four games, mostly as a backup.

Washington Redskins (2014–2019)

McCoy in 2015

McCoy signed with the Washington Redskins in 2014. He had a memorable game against the Tennessee Titans, coming off the bench to throw a 70-yard touchdown pass and lead a game-winning drive. He then started against his favorite childhood team, the Dallas Cowboys, and led Washington to an overtime victory. He was later placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury.

He re-signed with Washington in 2015 and spent several seasons as a backup. In 2018, he became the starter after an injury to Alex Smith. However, McCoy himself suffered a leg injury and was placed on injured reserve. He played in only one game in 2019.

New York Giants (2020)

In 2020, McCoy signed with the New York Giants. He filled in when the starting quarterback was injured. He led the Giants to an upset win over the Seattle Seahawks, his first win as a starter since 2014.

Arizona Cardinals (2021–2022)

McCoy joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. He started three games when Kyler Murray was out, winning two of them. He signed a two-year contract extension in 2022. He started a few games in 2022 due to injuries to the main quarterback. However, he suffered another concussion and missed the end of the season. He was released by the Cardinals in August 2023.

NFL Career Statistics

Life After Football

On August 19, 2024, Colt McCoy announced he was retiring from playing in the NFL. The same day, he shared that he would join NBC Sports. He will work as an analyst covering Big Ten Football.

Personal Life

Colt McCoy is sometimes called "the real McCoy" because of his strong performance and leadership. In 2006, he helped save a man's life by swimming across a lake. The man was having a medical emergency on a small dock.

He was roommates with his favorite receiver at Texas, Jordan Shipley. Their fathers were also college roommates! Colt's younger brother, Case, and Jordan's younger brother, Jaxon, also played football together at Texas.

McCoy is a member of the Churches of Christ. He has been involved in church youth groups since 2002. He has helped the elderly and done community service.

In 2010, Colt got engaged to Rachel Glandorf, a former track athlete. They got married on July 17, 2010. They now have two daughters and a son.

Images for kids

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  McCoy being helped off the field after an injury in 2006.

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  McCoy (left) and backup quarterback John Chiles in 2007.

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  McCoy under center in 2006.