Eric McCoo
Encyclopedia
Eric Franklin McCoo, Jr. (born September 6, 1980 in Morehead City, North Carolina
) is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
for the Philadelphia Eagles
. He played college football
at Penn State University
.
, McCoo earned High School All-American
honors at Red Bank Regional High School
.
all-time rushing list with 2,518 yards, leading the Nittany Lion
s in rushing three years. As a freshman, he compiled 822 yards on 127 carries and posted the top single-game rushing total by a freshman in school history (206 yards vs. Michigan State
).
McCoo majored in recreational management at Penn State.
with the Chicago Bears
in 2002, but was then acquired by the Eagles as a free agent in 2003. Allocated by Philadelphia to NFL Europa, he led the league in rushing and won MVP of World Bowl XII
with the Berlin Thunder
, highlighted by a World Bowl record 67-yard touchdown run. McCoo parlayed his successful NFL Europe experience into a spot on the Eagles practice squad on September 22, 2004, and was later promoted to the active roster on December 28, 2004 during the Eagles run to a NFC championship
and appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX
.
Eric was released by the Eagles before the 2005 season and was not claimed by any other team.
, a home delivery service, where he drove a truck and delivered groceries to customers ordering online. "The worst were the 3-story walkups," he said. "It always seemed that they were having a sale on two-liter bottles of soda and people were stocking up, buying 15-20 bottles at a time. It kept me I shape, though." He resides in Illinois.
Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Penn State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
.
Early life
A native of Red Bank, New JerseyRed Bank, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile . There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0 per square mile...
, McCoo earned High School All-American
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors at Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school that serves students in grades nine through twelve in Monmouth County, New Jersey, from the boroughs of Little Silver, Red Bank and Shrewsbury...
.
College career
McCoo finished his college career ranked ninth on Penn State'sPennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
all-time rushing list with 2,518 yards, leading the Nittany Lion
Nittany Lion
This article is about the Penn State mascot. For the Penn State fight song see "The Nittany Lion ".The Nittany Lion is the mascot of the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, USA and its athletic teams. It refers to the mountain lions that once roamed near the school, and...
s in rushing three years. As a freshman, he compiled 822 yards on 127 carries and posted the top single-game rushing total by a freshman in school history (206 yards vs. Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
).
McCoo majored in recreational management at Penn State.
Professional career
McCoo began his professional career as a rookie free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2002, but was then acquired by the Eagles as a free agent in 2003. Allocated by Philadelphia to NFL Europa, he led the league in rushing and won MVP of World Bowl XII
World Bowl XII
World Bowl XII was NFL Europe's 2004 championship game. The game was played at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on June 12, 2004. In this game, the defending champion Frankfurt Galaxy returned to try to protect their title after going through a 7–3 regular season. Their opponent was...
with the Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
, highlighted by a World Bowl record 67-yard touchdown run. McCoo parlayed his successful NFL Europe experience into a spot on the Eagles practice squad on September 22, 2004, and was later promoted to the active roster on December 28, 2004 during the Eagles run to a NFC championship
NFL playoffs, 2004-05
The NFL playoffs following the 2004 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXIX.-NFC: St. Louis Rams 27, Seattle Seahawks 20:Although the Rams barely made the playoffs with an 8–8 record, two of their regular season wins were against Seattle...
and appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
.
Eric was released by the Eagles before the 2005 season and was not claimed by any other team.
Personal
Between his time with the Bears and the Eagles, McCoo worked for PeapodPeapod
Peapod, LLC is an online grocery delivery service owned by Royal Ahold and operating only in a select number of US cities. The company is based in Skokie, Illinois."." Peapod. Retrieved on February 15, 2011. "Corporate Headquarters 9933 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077 ."-History:Peapod was founded in...
, a home delivery service, where he drove a truck and delivered groceries to customers ordering online. "The worst were the 3-story walkups," he said. "It always seemed that they were having a sale on two-liter bottles of soda and people were stocking up, buying 15-20 bottles at a time. It kept me I shape, though." He resides in Illinois.