Gerald McCoy In Cowboys Prime-Time: 'I'm Not Used To This!'
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys in prime time is something Cowboys Nation sort of takes for granted; don't feel bad, though, because when Gerald McCoy was a kid, growing up a Cowboys fan, he felt the same way.
"Thanksgiving? I grew up watching these games," McCoy said last week on DallasCowboys.com's NFL schedule release show. "Everybody is tuned in on Thanksgiving and everyone is going to watch the Cowboys."
But now McCoy will be playing in that game - and lots more like it.
"Excluding Thursday Night games, in 11 years, I've played four primetime games," said the defensive tackle McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowler who brings his talents to the Cowboys via free agency. "So the experience to be a Cowboy ... I'm not (used to this)!''
McCoy later noted via social media that as a member of the Bucs and Panthers he played on Thursday nights plenty. But he's aware that the league rotates every franchise into those games. But the Sunday night games? The FOX national games late in the afternoon? The Monday and the Thanksgiving stuff?
That's "America's Team'' stuff.
McCoy has only played in one Sunday Night Football game in his career, which happened to be when he was Bucs against the Cowboys in 2016. But now? He'll waste no time before being in the spotlight in Week 1 when it's Dallas at the Rams on a Sunday night.
And similar experiences will keep on keepin' on for the 32-year-old McCoy.
"This opening stadiums thing is just a part of where I'm supposed to be," McCoy said. "I was actually a part of the first game at 'Jerry's World.' OU played BYU when (AT&T) Stadium opened, so now I'm a part of the first game with (L.A.'s SoFi) Stadium opening ...
"I'm ready to get it. I's going to be great."