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Cowboys Release Gerald McCoy

On his first day of pads in his first training camp with Dallas, the former Oklahoma Sooner tore a tendon in his leg, then had surgery and was released Tuesday
John E. Hoover|
Cowboys Release Gerald McCoy
Cowboys Release Gerald McCoy

Gerald McCoy’s dream of playing for the Dallas Cowboys — and possibly for his first playoff team — came crashing down on Monday when he suffered a torn quad tendon during — a seemingly innocuous step in a routine practice drill in training camp.

On Tuesday, that dream slid even further away as the Cowboys released McCoy on an injury waiver.

Beginning his 11th NFL season, the 32-year-old McCoy hadn’t been injured often during his career. He's played in 139 games (started all 139) and made six Pro Bowls.

The former Oklahoma All-American had surgery to repair the tendon Tuesday morning, and posted an uplifting video before the procedure.

McCoy will get to keep his $3 million signing bonus, but the team is no longer on the hook for any of the rest of the three-year, $18 million deal he signed in March.

The Cowboys reported Tuesday afternoon their intention was to sign a player to replace McCoy, and then hoped to bring him back next season when he’s healthy.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told media on Tuesday, “I know Gerald in just the short time that we got to know him. But knowing from our studies, he’ll push. He’s a warrior. He’ll get back. And in my opinion, he’ll end up playing for the Dallas Cowboys, albeit not this year. But I see him putting on a (Dallas) uniform on in the future.”

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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