University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Getting to Know LeSean McCoy
8/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 18, 2008
What a difference a year can make, even for one of the most highly anticipated recruits in modern Pitt football history.
"There's definitely been a tremendous change from this time last year, to now," sophomore-to-be running back LeSean McCoy admits. "All the hype, the attention. I'm not a secret to anybody now. They all know what I can do."
McCoy set college football on its collective ear in 2007, rushing for a Big East-freshman record 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was the nation's top freshman running back (110.67 yards per game), and was Pitt's most electrifying rookie running back since Tony Dorsett in 1973. People heard all about McCoy before his freshman season. Now, after seeing what he accomplished, they are believers, and McCoy knows his life may never be the same as it was before his first collegiate carry.
"I can't do a lot of the same things I did last year, as far as hanging out," McCoy said. "I have to be more professional now about how I do things, being prepared and doing the right things to be able to play the way I know how."
Like most athletes, McCoy isn't at a loss for confidence in his ability. Still, what he was able to do for the 2007 Panthers surpassed even his expectations to some extent.
"I was definitely shocked," he said when asked if his 2007 season was more than he could have imagined. "I just wanted to come in and help my team any way possible. It made a difference that I had a good supporting cast around me. We had a mature offensive line; good coaches, too."
With the weeks winding down until the August 30 season opener against Bowling Green at Heinz Field, McCoy is settled into a daily routine.
"I'm pretty busy," he said. "I usually wake up at six [a.m.], go work out at seven, lift weights, have a tutoring session, eat lunch, have class for about two hours, then go home and relax, and get ready to do it all over again the next day."
McCoy realizes the expectations are greater for the 2008 Panthers following the 13-9 upset win at West Virginia in the final game.
"We want everyone to know that that wasn't just a one-game fluke, an upset," McCoy emphasized. "It really wasn't. We have a nice team coming back. We have a pretty good quarterback who's a leader. The linemen will be stepping up, and I have a lot of confidence in them. The defense is already top-notch. There are a lot of expectations, but we just have to be ready for it."
McCoy also has a better appreciation for the degree of intensity that goes with the "Backyard Brawl."
"It was my first year, so I didn't know how crazy the rivalry was," he said. "The way those fans reacted, throwing things at our bus. That was more motivation for us to go out and play hard.
"Winning the game was crazy. We were like heroes to our fans."
