Former Buccaneer Great Officially Retires From the NFL
On Friday, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Captain, and 11-year NFL veteran, Gerald McCoy, announced that he will be retiring from the NFL.
McCoy was drafted in 2010 when the Bucs selected him with the 3rd overall pick. He went on to experience great individual success as a Buccaneer despite the team's lack of success as a group.
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During his nine years in Tampa Bay, McCoy proved to be a relentless player on the field. He was both a dynamic interior pass rusher and a very solid run defender. His style of play on the field was a drastic contrast to his character and personality, which was often a source of criticism from a fanbase that was fed up with losing. McCoy was often criticized by fans for being 'too nice', but the fact is, his performance on the field was anything but.
As a member of the Buccaneers, McCoy put together a very impressive resume. He was a 6-time Pro Bowler, including five consecutive seasons from 2012-2017. He was a 3x All-Pro, including first-team honors in 2013, a season that saw him record 9.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss.
Off the field, McCoy's kind, caring, and enthusiastic aura was of great value to the Tampa community. He was often donating his time, money, and energy towards charitable efforts, and various foundations in the area. He was also the Buccaneers' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2018.
On May 20th, 2019, McCoy was waived by the Buccaneers following his ninth season with the team. He went on to sign with the division rival, Panthers, where he spent one season, and managed to sack Jameis Winston 2.5 times in a week 6 matchup vs. his old team.
After proving he still had a little juice left in his legs during that brief stint in Carolina, McCoy signed a 3-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, that was cut short when he suffered a torn quad in practice and was waived before the season began. He did sign with the Raiders for 2022, but was placed on the IR in mid-September, and never saw the field again.
Despite spending a few years with other teams, McCoy has remained loyal to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. This is obvious to anyone who follows him on social media, where he continues to offer his support for the team, with the same charisma that him such a unique and special character during his time as a Buccaneer.
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For almost an entire decade, Gerald McCoy was a bright spot in what was otherwise a very dark time in Tampa Bay. He gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers everything he had, every time he took the field in pewter and red. He was a tremendous player on the field and an even better person off of it. And for that, he should always be respected as an important figure within the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization.
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