Tennessee Football WR Bru McCoy Calls Knoxville His 'Home'

Even though Tennessee football WR Bru McCoy is from Southern California, he now refers to Knoxville as his home.

Tanner Johnson | Nov 19, 2024

Tennessee wide receiver Bru McCoy (5) tries to fight off Alabama defensive backs Domani Jackson (1) and Keon Sabb (3) during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Knoxville. Tenn. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Even though Tennessee football WR Bru McCoy is from Southern California, he now refers to Knoxville as his home.

When Bru McCoy steps onto the field at Neyland Stadium this Saturday against UTEP, it will mark more than just the final home game of his Tennessee career, it will symbolize a personal and emotional journey that transformed Knoxville into his home.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” McCoy said on Tuesday. “I mean, maybe a little bit at practice today, just kind of like, ‘Yeah, man, I don’t know how many more of these I’m going to get.’”

The 6-foot-3 wide receiver came to Tennessee as a standout from Southern California, where he started his college football journey at USC. But since arriving in Knoxville, McCoy has experienced not just athletic growth but also personal transformation. The city, the fans, and his teammates have become more than just a chapter in his football career.

“Man, these last few years have been instrumental in my development as a young man and maturity,” McCoy said. “But I’ve also found a home here and made a lot of great relationships. Really have enjoyed my time around my teammates and coaches, and it’s created like a second home for me, and really this is like my first home."

It’s a rare sentiment for a player who grew up in the sun-drenched streets of Southern California. Yet, McCoy’s connection to Knoxville has deepened over time, making it feel like the center of his world.

“I’m a kid from Southern California, and now whenever someone’s like, ‘When are you going home?’ I’ll be talking about going back to Knoxville,” McCoy. “Man, it’s a very special place to me. All the emotions haven’t really settled in yet.”

This Saturday, McCoy won’t just be celebrated for his big catches or game-changing plays. Instead, Vol fans will honor a man who embraced the culture of Tennessee football, left his heart on the field, and found a home far from where his journey began. As McCoy takes that final walk off the Neyland turf, he does so not as a visitor passing through but as someone who has planted roots in the heart of Tennessee football's resurgence.

The people in McCoy’s new home, Knoxville, will never forget the significant role he played in reviving the Tennessee football program and bringing it back to the national spotlight.