Gerald McCoy

Gerald Keith McCoy Jr. (born February 25, 1988) is an American football defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Buccaneers third overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Since joining the Bucs and the NFL, McCoy is widely regarded as an elite defensive tackle, as he has been selected to the Pro Bowl four consecutive years.

Early years

McCoy was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Gerald McCoy, Sr. and Patricia McCoy. He attended Southeast High School in Oklahoma City, where he played for the Southeast Spartans high school football team and competed in track. After notching 83 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss and 20 sacks, he was named All-area, all-state and all-metro as a junior in 2004. As a senior he logged 82 tackles, 20 sacks and recovered nine fumbles. McCoy received numerous awards including 2005 National Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today. Following his senior season, McCoy played in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.