The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2024
- Class:
- 2009
A legend in Longhorn football history whose retired jersey number 12 is prominently displayed in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Colt McCoy is one of only three two-time winners of the prestigious Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) National Player of the Year award. He also was a two-time consensus first-team All-American, Heisman Trophy finalist and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in a historic run from 2008-09. In addition, McCoy claimed the Maxwell Award, AT&T Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as a senior in 2009. McCoy earned bowl game offensive MVP honors three times in leading Texas to victories at the 2006 Alamo Bowl, 2007 Holiday Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl following the 2008 season. A four-year starter with a 45-8 career record, he finished his career as the NCAA’s all-time winningest quarterback and was the first QB in major college football history to lead a team to four 10-win seasons. He is also the first QB in Texas history to lead his team to consecutive 12-win seasons. A redshirt backup to Vince Young on the 2005 National Championship team, McCoy led Texas to a 13-1 record and No. 2 ranking in 2009, a 12-1 mark and No. 3 ranking in 2008, and a pair of 10-3 records in 2006 and 2007 with a No. 10 ranking in 2007 and No. 13 in 2006. Statistically, McCoy finished his career with 47 school records including 16 career, 13 single-season, five single-game, six freshman and seven miscellaneous marks. During his 53-game career, he completed 1,157-of-1,645 passes (70.3 percent) for 13,253 yards and 112 TDs for a passer rating of 155.0. When his career concluded, his 13,253 passing yards were sixth on the NCAA all-time list, his 112 TD passes ranked seventh and his 70.3 career completion was just shy of the NCAA record. In addition, McCoy rushed for 1,571 yards and 20 TDs on 447 carries (3.5 ypc), while rushing and passing for a TD in the same game 14 times during his career. In combining his passing (112) and rushing (20) TDs, McCoy finished his career ranked sixth on the NCAA’s TDs responsible for list and first at UT in that category with 132. He had scored at least one TD in 30 straight games entering the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. McCoy is UT’s all-time leader in total offense and finished his career ranked fourth on the NCAA all-time list in that category, having produced 14,824 yards (13,253p/1,571r) on 2,092 plays (7.1 ypp). In 14 games as a senior in 2009, the year he led Texas to a Big 12 title and the National Championship game, McCoy completed 332-of-470 (70.6 percent) for 3,521 yards and 27 TDs, while rushing for another 348 yards and three TDs. His 70.6 completion percentage led the nation. As a junior in 2008, he set UT single-season records for passing yards (3,859), passing TDs (34) and total offense (4,420). With the addition of his 11 rushing TDs, he also set the UT single-season record for most TDs responsible for with 45 that year. McCoy was the Sporting News National Freshman of the Year and Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2006 and set UT freshman records for victories by a QB (10) and TD passes (29). A standout on and off the field, he received the 2009 Bobby Bowden Award (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and was a National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete and three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection. He also was a member of the AFCA Good Works team for his community service efforts as well. McCoy graduated from The University of Texas in December 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. A third-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2010 NFL Draft, McCoy played 13 NFL seasons with the Browns (2010-12), San Francisco 49ers (2013), Washington Redskins (2014-19), New York Giants (2020) and Arizona Cardinals (2021-22). That’s second only to Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Bobby Layne’s 15 NFL seasons for a Longhorn quarterback. He played in 57 career games with 36 starts and threw for 7,975 yards and 34 TDs, while also rushing for 582 yards and two TDs. McCoy, who continues to be very active in the community while also beginning his post-football career in broadcasting, was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2024, Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2022, and the Big Country Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
