By BRIAN LINDER, T&D Sports Editor
Cleve McCoy sat in the home stands and surveyed the field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Wednesday evening.
Across the way, two figures – freshmen quarterbacks Malcolm Long and Dewaine Clark — slipped into the stadium and took a seat on a bench along the visitor’s sideline.
It was the first day of classes at South Carolina State University, but for the duo class has been in session all summer and McCoy’s been the teacher. Next year is their year to battle it out for the starting quarterback position.
But, this year belongs to Cleve and he’s set the bar high for himself and his South Carolina State Bulldogs. Cleve McCoy didn’t need the coaches to vote SCSU as the favorite to win the MEAC this season because, quite frankly, he doesn’t buy into all the preseason hype. And, if head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough never told a soul he thought his star quarterback could play in the NFL, well, that wouldn’t matter either.
In South Carolina State’s 100th year of football, he graces the cover of the school’s media guide which is fitting because Cleve’s sights are set on making history. For a quarterback who was told he’d be better off finding a spot on the defensive side of the ball coming out of Baptist Hill High School, he can’t think of a better way to cap off his SCSU career than with a MEAC title, a trip to the playoffs and a shot at playing in the NFL.
If 2005, when McCoy broke a 20-year-old school-record by completing 56.8 percent of his passes for 1,692 yards and 13 touchdowns, wasn’t his “I told you so” season, McCoy has intends to see that the 2007 season is.
“I feel like I’ve come a long way, especially coming from a 1-A high school,” McCoy said. “We were more of an option based offense, but we did have throwing plays and I felt like I could execute and throw any pass that is known to football. I’ve never had any problem with that. It was just learning the game of football.
“But, I always had that drive (to play quarterback) in my mind and I just wanted to show the coaches I could do it. My main thing, when I got here, was I was just nervous and frigid just because of coach (Buddy) Pough and his reputation.”
That’s where McCoy has progressed the most because, ironically, in a season where so much is on the line, he seems unfazed.
“I don’t want to pressure myself,” he said. “I just want to have fun, go out there and execute because I know I can do it. We do it everyday in practice. That’s the main thing, translating it from practice to the games. If we do that, the season will come into itself.
“In all my games this year, I’m going to be focused and prepared. But, I really want to have fun out there. You get to a point where, if you are having fun, then you play better. I don’t want to go out and stress myself out as far as thinking I have to complete every ball or that I can’t fumble. I’m just going to play, have fun, and hopefully we will come out on the other side with a ‘W’.”
The journey begins Sept. 1 in Colorado against Air Force, but it doesn’t end there. McCoy and the Bulldogs will run the gantlet to start the season, facing Bethune-Cookman and the University of South Carolina in the two contests following the opener.
“Our main goal is to finish the season,” he said. “We don’t have the comfort of playing a (Division II) school. I don’t want to say a simple game, but as far as a game you can use just to prepare … we don’t have that. We have some of the toughest teams in America. We just have to play. That’s our goal, to play and to win these games, especially Bethune-Cookman.”
Despite the tough opening schedule, expectations remain high. Yes, the MEAC coaches picked the Bulldogs as the favorite to win the league. And, around campus, McCoy says the atmosphere has never been like it is heading into this season.
South Carolina State is supposed to win, and if you want to know why, McCoy will also tell you the answer is simple. This is the most gifted Bulldogs team he has been on.
“The fans know, coaches know, the media knows … everybody has picked us to win,” McCoy said. “This is the highest expectations we have had, but we are ready for it. The team is ready.
“There is no reason we shouldn’t do it. We have everything in place, now we just have to go out on Saturdays and execute. We have experience on the line, experience at receiver and experience at quarterback. We have some young guys at running back, but Will Ford is talented … and Jonathon Woods. On the defensive line, we have some young guys, but they are pretty good, and we have some good defensive backs. We have Stephen Grantham kicking field goals, and Aaron Haire punting the ball all over the place. That’s what it takes to win games. It’s a great thing.”
He says the dream season is to win the MEAC, to go to the playoffs and a national championship. From there, he wants to fulfill the dream that was born back when he was in third grade and wanted nothing more than to play football for the Baptist Hill Bobcats. He wants to play in the NFL.
But, for all of the above to happen, he also knows he has to improve on last season when he struggled with a change in the Bulldogs’ offense and saw his numbers taper off to a 51.4 completion percentage with 1,224 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
To play quarterback in the MEAC and move on to the NFL, you most always have to have a great season. But, talk to McCoy, and you’ll know that anything less than great … that’s not even running through his mind. He talks about winning titles, being the league Player of the Year, an All-American. He talks about being remembered.
“I just want to leave with a legacy,” he said. “I want people to say, ‘Cleve was a pretty good quarterback.’ And, I still want to represent South Carolina State on the next level.
“I want (to play in the NFL) bad. That’s 22 years of my life that I’ve just wanted to play football and go to the NFL. And, the funny things is … it’s right there.
“All these years you talk about it, but now is my chance to actually push. And, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to push and do everything in my power to get to the next level.”
Cleve McCoy sat in the home stands and surveyed the field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Wednesday evening.
Across the way, two figures – freshmen quarterbacks Malcolm Long and Dewaine Clark — slipped into the stadium and took a seat on a bench along the visitor’s sideline.
It was the first day of classes at South Carolina State University, but for the duo class has been in session all summer and McCoy’s been the teacher. Next year is their year to battle it out for the starting quarterback position.
But, this year belongs to Cleve and he’s set the bar high for himself and his South Carolina State Bulldogs. Cleve McCoy didn’t need the coaches to vote SCSU as the favorite to win the MEAC this season because, quite frankly, he doesn’t buy into all the preseason hype. And, if head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough never told a soul he thought his star quarterback could play in the NFL, well, that wouldn’t matter either.
In South Carolina State’s 100th year of football, he graces the cover of the school’s media guide which is fitting because Cleve’s sights are set on making history. For a quarterback who was told he’d be better off finding a spot on the defensive side of the ball coming out of Baptist Hill High School, he can’t think of a better way to cap off his SCSU career than with a MEAC title, a trip to the playoffs and a shot at playing in the NFL.
If 2005, when McCoy broke a 20-year-old school-record by completing 56.8 percent of his passes for 1,692 yards and 13 touchdowns, wasn’t his “I told you so” season, McCoy has intends to see that the 2007 season is.
“I feel like I’ve come a long way, especially coming from a 1-A high school,” McCoy said. “We were more of an option based offense, but we did have throwing plays and I felt like I could execute and throw any pass that is known to football. I’ve never had any problem with that. It was just learning the game of football.
“But, I always had that drive (to play quarterback) in my mind and I just wanted to show the coaches I could do it. My main thing, when I got here, was I was just nervous and frigid just because of coach (Buddy) Pough and his reputation.”
That’s where McCoy has progressed the most because, ironically, in a season where so much is on the line, he seems unfazed.
“I don’t want to pressure myself,” he said. “I just want to have fun, go out there and execute because I know I can do it. We do it everyday in practice. That’s the main thing, translating it from practice to the games. If we do that, the season will come into itself.
“In all my games this year, I’m going to be focused and prepared. But, I really want to have fun out there. You get to a point where, if you are having fun, then you play better. I don’t want to go out and stress myself out as far as thinking I have to complete every ball or that I can’t fumble. I’m just going to play, have fun, and hopefully we will come out on the other side with a ‘W’.”
The journey begins Sept. 1 in Colorado against Air Force, but it doesn’t end there. McCoy and the Bulldogs will run the gantlet to start the season, facing Bethune-Cookman and the University of South Carolina in the two contests following the opener.
“Our main goal is to finish the season,” he said. “We don’t have the comfort of playing a (Division II) school. I don’t want to say a simple game, but as far as a game you can use just to prepare … we don’t have that. We have some of the toughest teams in America. We just have to play. That’s our goal, to play and to win these games, especially Bethune-Cookman.”
Despite the tough opening schedule, expectations remain high. Yes, the MEAC coaches picked the Bulldogs as the favorite to win the league. And, around campus, McCoy says the atmosphere has never been like it is heading into this season.
South Carolina State is supposed to win, and if you want to know why, McCoy will also tell you the answer is simple. This is the most gifted Bulldogs team he has been on.
“The fans know, coaches know, the media knows … everybody has picked us to win,” McCoy said. “This is the highest expectations we have had, but we are ready for it. The team is ready.
“There is no reason we shouldn’t do it. We have everything in place, now we just have to go out on Saturdays and execute. We have experience on the line, experience at receiver and experience at quarterback. We have some young guys at running back, but Will Ford is talented … and Jonathon Woods. On the defensive line, we have some young guys, but they are pretty good, and we have some good defensive backs. We have Stephen Grantham kicking field goals, and Aaron Haire punting the ball all over the place. That’s what it takes to win games. It’s a great thing.”
He says the dream season is to win the MEAC, to go to the playoffs and a national championship. From there, he wants to fulfill the dream that was born back when he was in third grade and wanted nothing more than to play football for the Baptist Hill Bobcats. He wants to play in the NFL.
But, for all of the above to happen, he also knows he has to improve on last season when he struggled with a change in the Bulldogs’ offense and saw his numbers taper off to a 51.4 completion percentage with 1,224 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
To play quarterback in the MEAC and move on to the NFL, you most always have to have a great season. But, talk to McCoy, and you’ll know that anything less than great … that’s not even running through his mind. He talks about winning titles, being the league Player of the Year, an All-American. He talks about being remembered.
“I just want to leave with a legacy,” he said. “I want people to say, ‘Cleve was a pretty good quarterback.’ And, I still want to represent South Carolina State on the next level.
“I want (to play in the NFL) bad. That’s 22 years of my life that I’ve just wanted to play football and go to the NFL. And, the funny things is … it’s right there.
“All these years you talk about it, but now is my chance to actually push. And, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to push and do everything in my power to get to the next level.”
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