BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) -LeSean McCoy slipped after taking a handoff, got up leisurely and was swarmed in the backfield by the defense.
Welcome to the NFL, rookie.
McCoy, the Philadelphia Eagles’ second-round draft pick, has plenty to learn. His new team has an intricate offense, and he must know all the pass routes, blocking schemes and where to run. One detail McCoy should’ve picked up before he got here: Unlike the college game, the play isn’t automatically dead when a player’s knee touches the ground.
ry.
So far, the pace of the game has been the biggest adjustment for McCoy, a two-year standout at Pittsburgh.
“It’s a lot different than I expected,” McCoy said. “It’s a lot faster, but the physical part, getting hit, that’s kind of normal. The thing is guys get to you faster than in college.”
A shifty runner, the 5-foot-11, 198-pound McCoy has a knack for finding holes and piling up yards. He rushed for 1,488 yards and 21 touchdowns at Pitt last season, and 2,816 yards and 35 TDs in two years, breaking several of Tony Dorsett’s school records.
“Vision is one of my biggest things that kind of makes me a good player,” he said. “Keep it basic, hit the holes.”
McCoy also had 65 receptions at Pitt. His receiving skills will be useful because the Eagles often throw to their backs.
“When we drafted him, we thought he was an excellent receiver not only out of the backfield, but we believe that he could play a receiver spot in this league,” offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. “We’ll use him all over the place there. He’s really an exceptional receiver.”
oy to turn pro early.
The Eagles are glad to have him.
“LeSean is doing a terrific job, and we ask an awful lot of the halfback spot in our offense,” Mornhinweg said. “The protection part is taxing mentally and he’s picked that up very well. I’ve been impressed with LeSean.”
McCoy, nicknamed Shady, is quite familiar with the Eagles, having grown up 90 minutes from Philadelphia in Harrisburg. He went to Bishop McDevitt High School, where former 49ers and Eagles Pro Bowl running back Ricky Watters starred in the mid-1980s.
Though he was a fan of Barry Sanders and the Detroit Lions as a youngster, McCoy once went to Eagles camp to get Donovan McNabb’s autograph. Now he’s taking handoffs from the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
“There’s a lot of pressure on his shoulders, being drafted as a running back when we have Westbrook here,” McNabb said. “Now everyone is expecting him to do so much. It’s a lot of pressure on your shoulders when you’re coming out battling versus one of the best running backs ever to play here in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform.
ed it really well.”
McCoy was the fourth running back selected in the draft behind Knowshon Moreno, Donald Brown and Chris Wells, all of whom were chosen in the first round. The Eagles wanted Moreno, but Denver took him with the 12th overall pick. Philadelphia then traded up to No. 19 to get wide receiver Jeremy Maclin with its first pick.
The additions of McCoy and Maclin upgrade an offense that scored a franchise-record 416 points last season when the Eagles reached the NFC championship game. McNabb may have more weapons than he’s ever had in his 10 previous seasons in Philadelphia, including 2004 when the Eagles reached the Super Bowl with Terrell Owens.
“They are very talented, athletic-wise and they want to do whatever it takes in order to win,” McNabb said.
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