Medical condition likely ends McCoy’s career
Due to an undisclosed medical condition, Georgia Tech defensive lineman Denzel McCoy will not play for the Yellow Jackets this season, and most likely ever.
“He’s probably finished career-wise,” coach Paul Johnson said after Tech’s first practice Wednesday. “It’s disappointing for Denzel, but we’ve got to look for his well being and his health, and it’s just not worth the risk.”
Johnson said McCoy, a redshirt freshman from Northview High, will retain his scholarship and help the team as a student assistant. After his condition was discovered last year as McCoy entered Tech, he practiced with the team but did not take part in contact drills. He practiced in the spring under the same conditions and trained with the team in strength and conditioning drills.
“You’re disappointed for him, he’s such a great kid,” Johnson said. “He’s gotta great attitude and we just tell him, ‘Hey, there’s bigger things than football.’”
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57 comments Add your comment
JSJacket
August 3rd, 2011
5:45 pm
Sounds like a positive kid who will land on his feet.
foartebuna
August 3rd, 2011
5:46 pm
Bad for the kid but good for Tech. Keep the kid on scholly, help the team and get the best education in the state.
Brian
August 3rd, 2011
5:46 pm
Hate that for McCoy. Gotta love Paul Johnson for handling the situation the right way.
GT 07
August 3rd, 2011
5:55 pm
Denzel is a great kid who passed up on other big schools to come here. He was the biggest recruiter for tech after he committed. I wish him the best and he will always be part of the Ga Tech family!
Go Jackets!
GT 1
August 3rd, 2011
6:00 pm
Hate to lose a good young man as Denzel
Daniel Andrews
August 3rd, 2011
6:09 pm
That’s a shame. Best of luck to the young man.
ToeMeetsLeather
August 3rd, 2011
6:09 pm
Good luck Denzel. Keep your head up, hit the books and get that degree!
macrotech
August 3rd, 2011
6:23 pm
Hate to hear it…LOVE that Tech is maintaining the high road!!!
GDBurdell
August 3rd, 2011
6:31 pm
georgia tek = CHEATERS
Big Ol Stinger
August 3rd, 2011
6:37 pm
GD = Headley = D A Double U G = on and on and on……
You’re a low class little POS.
Thanks.
JSJacket
August 3rd, 2011
6:40 pm
Nick Saban would have celebrated for opening up a scholly. CPJ has class out the ass.
JSJacket
August 3rd, 2011
6:41 pm
Actually, didn’t CMR vote to allow oversigning also?
Ken Sugiura
August 3rd, 2011
6:43 pm
from what i’ve learned about denzel mccoy, i think he’ll be fine.
Ken Sugiura
August 3rd, 2011
6:45 pm
JSJ – I don’t know what he voted, but i don’t think he’s for oversigning. very funny comment, if a little crass, about cpj.
juvenal
August 3rd, 2011
6:57 pm
press conference, Ken?
juvenal
August 3rd, 2011
6:58 pm
lost another great lineman to illness…wonder how he’s doing……..
juvenal
August 3rd, 2011
7:00 pm
gd, don’t suppose you can spare a prayer it’s not serious?… still pray for the dauug baseball player…
Dawg-Hatin' Jacket
August 3rd, 2011
7:04 pm
“UGA wide receiver cited by police”: Comments closed.
Cowards.
NOVAJacket
August 3rd, 2011
7:09 pm
There are bigger things than football. Best of luck to Denzel.
Ramblin Man
August 3rd, 2011
7:12 pm
Good luck to you Denzel. I was looking forward to seeing this kid on the d-line but ones health comes way before football. I was wondering how the scholarship would be handled and am proud of CPJ and staff for honoring what they offered and letting the kid help with the team while still getting a great education. Hopefully other recruits will take notice of how a hard working GT student/athlete is treated.
collegeballfan
August 3rd, 2011
7:18 pm
Look to Albert Rocker for proof that there is life after football.
Good luck Denzel.
And a tip of the hat to Johnson for keeping him on scholarship. A lot of coaches would not do that and do not do thatl
Sting'em!
August 3rd, 2011
7:21 pm
GDBurdell……………….F**k You!……..& your momma, too!
Worm
August 3rd, 2011
7:24 pm
Happens way too much..Good luck to denzel and get that degree..Kudos to tech for honoring his scholly.
Worm
August 3rd, 2011
7:27 pm
@dawghatin-jacket-If you never relieved yourself in public, then feel free to criticize..
kingster
August 3rd, 2011
7:32 pm
We all wish you well Denzel, Tech is a one of the best places in the world to get a degree, Tech will take care of you!
lucky21
August 3rd, 2011
7:33 pm
I’m actually good friends with Denzel and know the actual condition but I will not disclose but I will say that he will be fine just unable to play football unfortunately. He is a big dude with an even bigger heart, and he will be fine in the future.
Worm
August 3rd, 2011
7:38 pm
That’s two of Tech’s best recent recruits-Ryan Ayers being the other that can’t play..Hope this not a trend.
Tech Fan Since 1950
August 3rd, 2011
7:40 pm
Best wishes to you Denzel! Glad you are going to stick around the Flats and help the team. Most of all, I wish you the best of health and we are going to be watching to make sure you get that Tech degree.
GT65
August 3rd, 2011
7:57 pm
We should give credit to the Tech training staff for recognizing such problems before allowing these young men to participate in a sport which could further jeopardize their health. While we enjoy our athletic program, we have always recognized higher priorities which over-ride the importance of winning. One of Bobby Dodd’s reasons for pulling out of the SEC was that some schools did not honor the scholarships given to athletes who did not work out due to injury, inability, etc. I am glad that Paul Johnson is continuing Coach Dodd’s policy on this.
George Stein
August 3rd, 2011
8:01 pm
Sucks for Denzel. Most importantly, I hope he gets healthy and lives a long, happy life.
Reminds me a bit Greg Gathers ten years ago.
Sweet Home Alabama
August 3rd, 2011
8:28 pm
Good luck young man.Take care of yourself.
Doc's Harvey
August 3rd, 2011
8:32 pm
The lack of class shown by some UGA fans never ceases to amaze me.
Atlanta mom
August 3rd, 2011
9:20 pm
PJ makes me proud to be a Tech fan.
Good luck to Denzel. He’ll have a useful degree when he leaves Tech
jacket23
August 3rd, 2011
9:20 pm
I know for a fact that the Head Trainer at GT , Coach Jay Shoop, is one of the best in the business! We are very lucky to have him at GT!!!!!
Brent
August 3rd, 2011
9:29 pm
God bless, Denzel. You”ll be fine, get your education. Paul Johnson and Mark Richt are two of the classiest coaches in football. Either one would do the same thing. The state of Georgia should be proud.
Seriously
August 3rd, 2011
9:29 pm
I wish Denzel the best, and hope he gets his degree. However, you Tech fans ned to get real. Every D-1 school gets 10 medical scholarships that do not count against the 85 limit. 99 out of 100 D-1 schools do exactly what Fish Fry did today unless the athlete is a scum bag. Fish Fry is not doing anything special here.
dogz
August 3rd, 2011
9:36 pm
Brent you are so right, nice post. As a dog fan I hope this young man get his degree from GT and uses it to land a great job!
He may be trailer trash
August 3rd, 2011
9:45 pm
Sting ‘em doesn’t remake you appreciate your parents?
GT!
August 3rd, 2011
9:48 pm
Best of luck, Denzel! Proud to have you representing GT!
ATLER Ramblin Wreck
August 3rd, 2011
10:02 pm
Get your degree and make it happen in the real world my friend.
Ken Sugiura
August 3rd, 2011
10:05 pm
GT65 – you’re right. As disappointing as I imagine it might be, it’s for the best that Tech’s medical staff found the condition.
Juvenal – it was, more or less. that’s why everyone has the same info.
Mike
August 3rd, 2011
10:30 pm
Am pleased with the decision of course. I do have a procedural question…does his scholarship still count against our max for football?
Sammy Dawg
August 3rd, 2011
10:32 pm
Still Cheaters and Obstructers of the truth! Good luck with that “engineering” degree kid.
Stumpknocker
August 3rd, 2011
10:40 pm
@Big Ole Stinger; I second your opinion about some of the classless “A” holes on this vent………..They truly are a POS…………….Wonder what comments they would about they’re own parallized baseball player?
Stumpknocker
August 3rd, 2011
10:43 pm
@Sammy Dawg…..you gotta lot of room to talk son………..let’s not forget about the Jan Kemp days at your beloved school of higher learning…LMFAO
Ken Sugiura
August 3rd, 2011
10:52 pm
Mike – he won’t count against the 85-scholarship limit. he’d get a scholarship like a student manager or another student assistant would.
Paul in RDU
August 3rd, 2011
11:34 pm
I hate to see a kid’s lifetime dream of playing Div 1 football go by the wayside but he needs to do what is best for his long term health – and also get his degree. Good luck to Denzel.
Paul in RDU
August 3rd, 2011
11:38 pm
Ramblin Man
I have to disagree with you – most good coaches (and I count Richt in that group) would keep a player in the same sutuation as Denzel on a medical hardship scholarship
Ramblin Man
August 4th, 2011
4:35 am
You know nothing of which you type. You are a CLOWN if you believe that most coaches would cut him loose. THWGT and you!!!
Paddy
August 4th, 2011
6:31 am
Doing the right thing just comes natural for some folks like CPJ& CMR. We are lucky to have them in our state teaching our kids.