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Oklahoma Legend Gerald McCoy Finds a New NFL Home

The Las Vegas Raiders had the big defensive tackle in for a workout, then signed him later in the day on Wednesday

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma Legend Gerald McCoy Finds a New NFL Home
Oklahoma Legend Gerald McCoy Finds a New NFL Home /

One of the most popular players in Oklahoma history — and one of the best — has a new home.

Gerald McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday.

Gerald McCoy
Gerald McCoy :: James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys

McCoy played his first nine seasons in Tampa Bay, then played 2019 for the Carolina Panthers and was hoping last year would bring him closer to his Oklahoma City home as he signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

It wasn’t meant to be for McCoy in Dallas, however, as he suffered a ruptured quad injury in his first training camp practice with his new team.

The Raiders invited McCoy for a personal workout earlier on Wednesday, then announced the signing on Wednesday night.

McCoy has played in 139 NFL games — and made 139 starts. He has 352 career tackles (252 solo), 59.5 quarterback sacks, 79 tackles for loss, 24 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

McCoy redshirted in 2006 but then became a force of nature for the Sooners during this three-year career from 2007-09. In 40 career games, McCoy made 83 tackles, 14.5 sacks, four passes defensed, one interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries while earning All-Big 12 accolades three times and All-America twice.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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