Tinker’s McCoy ‘elated’ about son’s NFL draft

Published April 29, 2010
By John Stuart
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- A 10-year-old running back took the handoff on an Oklahoma City football field and looked for the hole. He cut hard and hit the defense. But the defense hit him first. Well, one person on the defense did. The defensive tackle was only 8 years old on that day in 1996, playing against kids several years his senior. He was big for his age. Real big, and he hit the older kids hard. His name was Gerald, like his dad.

That is the day he knew his son was destined to be good football player.

"They ran the play and he chucked the center, moved him out of the way and went 'BOOM,' stopped him solid," said Gerald McCoy, the father of that standout defensive tackle, reminiscing about the early years. "Then they ran the second play. The running back tried to come through the hole and BOOM, he made the tackle again."

But it wasn't just dad who noticed his son's talent.

"The coach said, 'man your son is going to be a good player someday,'" Gerald said.

Both dad and coach were right. With a storied college football career at the University of Oklahoma behind him, that son is now 22 and -- at 6' 4" and 295 pounds -- most definitely grown up. He's also one of the most talented players to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

The Southeast High School Spartan turned Oklahoma Sooner will now be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. This defensive tackle is going places, namely Florida to fulfill a life-long goal.

When the NFL draft fanfare commenced April 22 at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, there was one member of the Tinker family in attendance. It was Gerald, the elder. His reason for being there was a simple one. He was there to see Gerald McCoy, the younger, (or just "G.K.") get drafted No. 3 in the first round.

Gerald, an aircraft mechanic in the KC-135 Horizontal-Vertical Shop and Tinker employee of 27 years, couldn't be more proud of his son. He describes what it was like to see G.K. walk across the stage after his draft announcement.

"I'm not going to say it was unbelievable, but I'm so elated," Gerald said. "My son spoke of a dream and worked had to get there. And he did it because other people's children had dreamed and gotten there and he knew it could be done."

At OU, G.K. notched 83 tackles, 49 solo tackles, 33 tackles for a loss and 14 ½ sacks. Not a bad showing for the player who was the top ranked defensive tackle in the nation coming out of high school. It's likely G.K. will start for Tampa Bay following the release of longtime defensive tackle Chris Hovan.

G.K. was a star in Owen Stadium. Now he'll have to prove himself again in Raymond James Stadium starting Sept. 12, when the Buccaneers open their regular season at home against Cleveland.

The two Geralds converged on New York last week with the pack of other NFL hopefuls. One Gerald was the star, and the other there for support. That's how it's always been for this family.

"We made everything he went to," Gerald said of his son's sports exploits.

He's not joking.

Every high school football game. Every college football game. And almost every college football practice. These describe the attendance records of Gerald and his late wife, Pat.

At OU, they were de facto team parents.

"The whole team would talk to me," Gerald said. "When my wife was living they knew her as 'mom' and they called me 'pops.' They could count on me just to be in place. I was up on top of the mountain waving the flag when he was at OU.

"My wife and I were visible parents. You get to raise your kids once, you don't get those years back so you have to be there."

Tampa Bay is a lengthy 1,273 miles from Gerald's Oklahoma City home. Just a little farther than the 20 or so miles he drove to Norman to see G.K. play before. But he's not bending on his commitment to see his son play football. Gerald is planning to make every game in person.

"There's a possibility that those frequent flyer miles might start piling up," Gerald said with a laugh.

But Gerald didn't offer his son too many words of wisdom when it came to NFL prospects. He knew G.K. could handle himself.

"He was ready, he has it down," Gerald said. "The only thing he needs to know is that we'll be there."

Gerald said he is indebted to his Tinker family and their support through his family's ups and downs -- when Pat, a Tinker employee of 29 years, passed away in 2007, and now as G.K. suits up in professional football attire.

"I want to thank the Lord first and foremost for his many, many blessings. That's what we stand on," Gerald said. "And I want to thank my Tinker family for all they've done and for being there for the McCoy family -- for encouraging G.K to go on. I can't put it into words how much I want to thank my co-workers and friends. They have been awesome. They've been there for us."