TAMPA, Fla — After a Hall of Fame-caliber career, LeSean McCoy often finds himself self-reflecting.
“I always think back on my career in my life,” McCoy said. “When I go through my whole life, it's like, if I wasn't that good, if I didn't get these breaks or the Lord blessing me with these talents, where would I be at?”
He probably wouldn’t be in Tampa.
The running back is enjoying his 12th season in the NFL on his fourth team. But he knows his path to success isn’t feasible for everyone.
“I want people to know, especially the younger generation, that sports is not the only thing that matters to getting out,” McCoy said. “I think growing up, especially in the hood, there’s only a certain amount of things you can do to succeed in life.”
McCoy said he never got into trouble as a kid, but he points to a particular moment in his adult life that shifted his perspective.
“I had a situation with these cops, and it was like a bar fight,” McCoy said. “I wasn't there. I came to the scene late. But it was a scuffle, and you see your friends get into it. So you get into it, one of those types of things.”
In 2016, McCoy got caught up in a bar fight with former college teammates and off-duty police officers. He wasn’t charged and paid a settlement to an injured officer. But, what lingers for him is knowing a younger audience heard the story.
“I remember going back to my hometown and the younger kids asking about it,” McCoy said. “I’m so used to them asking me about ball, this or that player, how was Michael Vick, etc. Right?
"Did I ever meet Allen Iverson – those types of questions. They went from asking me that, to ‘what happened’ and ‘are you OK’ – you know, about the fight. And I felt that.”
McCoy’s foundation, Shades of Greatness, was founded in 2012, years before that fight. But the incident motivates him to this day.
“That’s when it kind of hit me,” he said. “For the younger generation, I always want to show them the right way ahead. Don’t make these mistakes.”
McCoy picks up where the system fails, focusing on socio-economically disadvantaged children.
Through his foundation, he hosts charity cookouts, job fairs, softball and basketball games, food drives and school supplies and uniform handouts. He also provides a scholarship.
"If I sat here and really, off the record, told you some of their backstories, you would think 95 percent, 90 percent of the kids would quit,” McCoy said. “But no, they find a way.”
“That’s tough, as a young kid to go through so much and still have the same drive. There’s a number of kids that I’m extremely proud of.” McCoy said.
He signed with the Bucs in July, but he’s already serving the Tampa Bay community.
Teaming up with fellow Bucs running back Leonard Fournette, they provided 500 local families with full Thanksgiving meals. Due to the coronavirus, NFL players aren’t able to physically participate in community events as they complete the football season, but McCoy hopes to return to his off-the-field work soon.
“That’s the biggest thing I want people to know about me – is that I've always been a team guy,” McCoy said. “I’ve always been a people person. A lot of love, a lot of love.”
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