Greg McCoy hung up the phone and didn’t know what to do.
So he ran.
Out of the living room, through the front door and down the street.
“I didn’t even want to watch TV anymore,” McCoy said. “I ran outside. I was huffing and puffing because I’m running and so excited. I can’t explain that experience in words.”
McCoy had just gotten off the phone with members of the Chicago Bears front office, who informed him they were taking him with the 220th overall pick in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.
McCoy and former teammate Tank Carder, who was taken in the fifth round by the Buffalo Bills, met with media Tuesday afternoon in the Four Sevens Team Room.
For McCoy, his signing with the Bears is another step in a journey that’s seen the Dallas native go from a low-profile recruit working three jobs in high school to the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year last season and now, if he makes Chicago’s roster, to the NFL this fall.
“It’s truly, truly, truly a blessing,” said McCoy, who played last season as a graduate student, having earned already earned his bachelor’s degree. ““That’s how I can sum it up in one word. God just put great people in my life and allowed me to take advantage of my opportunities. I think my experiences gave me the tools I order to move forward.
McCoy ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the TCU Pro Day on March 8, showing off the speed that led to two kickoff returns for touchdowns last season. In addition to that, McCoy set a single-game school record for return yards (229) against Baylor and earned first team all-American honors as a kick returner.
The Bears have talked about him having a similar role on special teams in Chicago, but at this point, McCoy isn’t quite sure how he’ll fit in at the next level, he said.
He’s just happy to be going there and glad he’s able to share that chance with his family, especially his grandmother.
“Me and my grandmother, we had a hug probably for about 15 minutes just crying and talking about the journey up until this,” McCoy said. “She’s my motivation. She was telling me how happy she was to live through this and see this. I was glad and happy and proud to give her that moment.”