Colt McCoy, a name seemingly plucked from the pages of a Louis L’Amour novel, is as tough as a rodeo cowboy.
No questions exist about his intestinal fortitude.
Not after the physical beatings we saw him take last season against Kansas State and Texas A&M. And certainly not after the pounding we watched him absorb in last weekend’s embarrassing 41-21 home loss to Kansas State.
That’s why Mack Brown needs to sit the redshirt sophomore this week – to ensure McCoy has all of the time he needs to completely recover from symptoms of a mild concussion he experienced Saturday.
No one at UT will actually admit McCoy suffered a concussion, which I find troubling. McCoy won’t. Neither will Brown. The medical staff issued a statement that said the quarterback had “symptoms” of a mild concussion.
UT avoiding the issue brings out the cynic in me. Either McCoy had a concussion or he didn’t.
Concussions happen in football – now more than ever because players are bigger, faster and stronger than they’ve ever been.
All I know is that McCoy’s aftercare should be exactly the same whether OU or Iowa State is on the schedule this week. The shroud of secrecy should make anyone wonder if that’s the case.
We know McCoy is never going to ask out of a game. No tough guy ever would. It’s not part of their makeup. Besides, no player wants to miss the Red River Rivalry.
It doesn’t really get any bigger than Texas-OU in Dallas these days, while A&M languishes as a second-tier program. So McCoy is going to do everything in his power to play, which is why Brown and the UT medical staff should intervene.
You don’t get another brain.
It’s simplistic but true. A concussion – even a mild one – results in an injury to the brain. It’s one thing to let Jon Kitna of the Detroit Lions talk his way back onto the field after a concussion because he’s a professional earning millions of dollars. The same goes for Julius Jones, who said he suffered concussions in two of the Cowboys’ first three games.
But McCoy won’t earn a nickel for Saturday’s game.
Just about every piece of medical evidence available suggests once a person has a concussion, he’s susceptible to having another – and usually more severe.
Beating OU simply isn’t worth the chance.
Besides, who said freshman John Chiles can’t lead the Longhorns past OU and write his own page in the annals of UT history just like James Brown did in 1994, when injuries forced him into a starting role.
Kansas State hammered McCoy late in the first half, and he spent halftime with the training staff. Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis didn’t expect McCoy to play, so coaches spent halftime preparing Chiles.
Then, McCoy appeared on the sideline just before the half started and told Brown he had been cleared to play.
“I don’t have any input into the medical at all,” Brown said.
When you hear stories from recently retired former NFL players such as Ted Johnson and Wayne Chrebet about the long-term effect concussions have had on their lives, every player should be nervous.
They talk about migraine headaches, memory loss and depression.
“There’s no question we’re going to err on the side of caution,” Brown said. “That’s why they took him out at the end of the game.”
And why McCoy needs to watch Saturday’s game in street clothes.
