Still Shady: McCoy feels young for RB despite turning 29
PITTSFORD, N.Y. » Old?
Dream on, LeSean McCoy says, dismissively rearing back his head at the mere mention of the notion.
Having just turned 29, and entering his ninth NFL season, the Buffalo Bills running back doesn’t feel it or see it. Without naming names, the only thing McCoy notices when watching tape of players three, four and five years younger is a group that can’t shake, shimmy or explode through a hole like he still can.
“If I’m playing with them here or watching them on tape, I never say, ‘Well, man, he’s doing things I can’t do,’ you know?” McCoy told The Associated Press. “I’m saying to myself, ‘There’s stuff that I’m doing that they can’t do.’”
He doesn’t foresee that time soon.
“I feel good. I feel the same. I feel young. I feel about 25,” McCoy said. “I could keep doing this ‘til I’m about 33, man.”
The player nicknamed ‘Shady’ for occasional mood swings, has not lost swagger or shifty step.
Enabling McCoy’s self-confidence is what he proved last season, his second in Buffalo after being traded from the Eagles.
Putting aside his simmering anger toward former Eagles coach Chip Kelly for trading him, and a nagging hamstring injury — both of which hampered his production in 2015 — McCoy reminded everyone of what he’s capable of when healthy and focused.
Leading the NFL’s top running attack, he finished with 1,267 yards rushing — nearly 400 more than a year earlier despite just 31 more carries — and led Buffalo with 14 touchdowns, including one receiving. He ranked sixth in yards rushing, fifth with 1,623 yards from scrimmage, and tied for fourth in touchdowns. changing any his his
Over the hill? Downhill’s more like it for a player who spent the 2015 offseason ridding himself of distractions by saying, “I put all the Bentleys and Rolls-Royces away and got to work.” The payoff was validating. “When I put my mind and dedication to football, if I put 100 percent in it, I got 100 percent out of it,” McCoy said. “That’s something I’ve been accustomed to doing. And it’s still been a blessing for me.”
The question remains whether McCoy can outrun age and be the exception to the stereotypical 30-year-old wall for running backs.
According to Pro Football Reference, since 1970 only 15 players have combined for 3,000-plus yards rushing past their 30th birthday. The top five are Hall of Famers, led by Emmitt Smith, who had 5,789 yards over his final five seasons.
Countless others have either stalled or retired, such as Barry Sanders, who left the game at 30 after gaining 1,491 yards rushing in 1998.
Then there’s Bills Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas, who managed just 2,345 of his 12,074 yards rushing beyond 30. Thomas chalked up his drop in production to losing playing time after Buffalo drafted Antowain Smith.
Until Buffalo considers bringing in an heir apparent, Thomas doesn’t see McCoy’s production slowing. Thomas noted that McCoy doesn’t take many direct hits. Another factor is the role he plays in the passing attack, lessening the number of times he has to plow through hulking defensive fronts.