The “luck of the draw,” as it were, underscores McCoy’s mindset and why he doesn’t dwell too much on how the last two seasons have been abruptly changed.
“It’s tough as an athlete, but that’s the name of the game,” McCoy said. “Last year, the play where I tore my bicep was something I’ve done a million times, and I’ve seen people do it a million times after that. It just happened like this angle and, you know, it ended my season. It was tough. But I’m going to continue to do what I can to mitigate those risks and hopefully I’ll be lucky. Hopefully I’ll all be lucky, but I’ll be lucky too.
McCoy will take his place in the center of a Saints attack that, on paper, is the best the club has fielded in years. Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr. are keepers on tackles. Free-agent guard David Edwards is a huge upgrade and should balance out the middle. Guard Cesar Ruiz continues his up and down career but improved his pass defense last year. McCoy’s health will be key to the unit being at its best.
“There’s always going to be awareness (of injuries) but you can’t play with awareness, you know what I mean? McCoy said. “It’s just got to be reckless abandon and whatever happens happens. I’m going to keep this same mindset. I don’t want to be a guy who plays shy, who plays soft, who plays afraid of getting hurt. If I play like this, I should quit football.”