Eric McCoo
Football
Tailback
Senior
Red Bank, NJ/Redbank Regional
Eric McCoo didn't waste any time demonstrating his tremendous potential as a Nittany Lion. In the opening game of the 1998 season, the true freshman tailback took his first hand-off and rocketed 41 yards to set up a touchdown in a big win over Southern Mississippi. He concluded his initial campaign by blitzing Michigan State for 206 yards, the most ever by a Penn State true freshman.
As he enters his senior season, the athletic and strong McCoo is on the brink of cementing his name among the many outstanding running backs which have dazzled Nittany Lion fans and opponents through the program's glorious history. He enters the fall as the team's leading returning rusher, a position he knows well, having assumed it three times before. He stands on the threshold of becoming one of the five leading rushers in school history, with an opportunity to join D.J. Dozier as just the second player to lead the Nittany Lions in rushing four straight years.
The fleet-footed and durable McCoo begins the year 10th on the school's all-time rushing yardage list with 2,253 yards. He's already passed the likes of Charlie Pittman and Franco Harris in career rushing and with 747 yards this fall would become one of only five Lions to rush for 3,000 yards, moving past Lenny Moore, John Cappelletti, Matt Suhey, Ki-Jana Carter and Lydell Mitchell. Pretty heady company, but McCoo has made his mark by not only being a talented runner, but also emerging as an effective blocker and versatile, sure-handed receiver. During the past two seasons, he has collected 48 receptions for 537 yards (11.2) and with 2,964 career all-purpose yards, he is well within range of cracking the school's Top 10 list.
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