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Gerald McCoy lone Buc picked for Pro Bowl

 
Gerald McCoy
Gerald McCoy
Published Dec. 24, 2014

TAMPA — Gerald McCoy said it never gets old being named to the Pro Bowl and was thrilled when he received the honor for the third straight year on Tuesday. But the Bucs' defensive tackle is tired of it being the only postseason game he's invited to play in.

"We're going to get this thing turned around," McCoy said. "But really, what's going to have to happen is we're going to have to decide in the locker room that it's time to change the culture. We can't allow this to keep happening. That's five years straight for me I've missed the postseason. Quite frankly, I'm tired of dealing with it. We're all going to have to pick it up as a unit, as a team and get this thing rolling."

McCoy, 26, played nearly the entire season with a broken left hand and willed himself to back into a game against the Lions with a right knee issue that landed him on injured reserve last week. At 2-13 heading into Sunday's season finale against New Orleans, the Bucs will own either the first or second overall pick in the 2015 draft.

McCoy, who leads the Bucs 81/2 sacks, said he is uncertain whether his sprained knee will heal in time for him to play in the Pro Bowl, which is at 8 p.m. Jan. 25 on ESPN in Glendale, Ariz., site of Super Bowl XLIX.

McCoy was the only Buc named to the NFL all-star team, though linebacker Lavonte David is an alternate.

"It's just an honor to be considered among the top players in this league once again," McCoy said. "I put a lot of work in, man, and realistically, the individual goals are great but all the work I put in is to be the best for my team. I got drafted here to help win a championship and that's my only reason for working as hard as I do is to help bring a championship to this city. I'm really excited about the future but in doing that, if some individual accolades come along, that's great too."

McCoy signed a seven-year, $98 million contract extension, the richest in club history, in October. He joins Hall of Fame players Warren Sapp and Lee Roy Selmon as the Bucs' only defensive linemen named to at least three Pro Bowls. He is the 10th player in franchise history to receive the honor three straight years.

"Sapp always told me to chase the ghosts of the game and that's the people who were blazing trails in this league," McCoy said.

It's the third time in five years McCoy's season ended prematurely. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 draft sustained season-ending torn biceps in 2010 and 2011. This season, McCoy had to rely on toughness to play in 13 games. He missed parts of three other games with the hand fracture and knee sprain.

McCoy's 13 tackles for loss are fourth among defensive linemen this season and second on the team.

"It's a man's game," McCoy said. "There is no ifs, ands or buts about it. You've got to man up and play, especially if you're the leader of the team. If your team needs you, you've got to find a way to be out there and that's all I do is fight through the pain. I'm not the first person to be hurt and continue to play. I just pushed through the pain and did what I could."

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Coach Lovie Smith said players such as McCoy and David give him faith that the Bucs will make a quick turnaround in 2015.

"When I talk about hope and we won't be down here long, it's because of guys like that," Smith said. "You know, they don't need a pep talk, they haven't needed a pep talk after a tough loss or to get motivated for the next game. Of course Gerald, he's out, he's not playing. But you hear him, you see him, as much as anyone could have. And Lavonte is the same guy always. So that doesn't surprise me, but it's my first time being around them. That's why we will make that quick climb back up to the top."

Contact Rick Stroud at rstroud@tampabay.com and listen from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays on WDAE-AM 620. View his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bucs. Follow @NFLStroud.