Mac Engel: Why a Texas Longhorns legend chose Fort Worth to retire and set up his post-NFL life

Colt McCoy may be one of the lucky ones, but his 12-year existence in the NFL is not because he opened the right fortune cookie.

For every college football coach in America, McCoy should be studied on “How To Football.”

Earned a scholarship at the University of Texas. Sat behind Vince Young. Excelled when given the chance. Made an NFL roster for 12 years. Retired with his health, and head, intact to have a life when his game ended. Saved his money.

Add, “Using his name/fame that came from success in football to propel a new career.”

The last quarterback to lead Texas to an appearance in the national title game, who still “feels” the pain of that loss in 2010 to Alabama, is done with the sport that made so much on his life possible.

As the Texas football program is firmly out of the sludge of its creation for the first time since he left school, in 2010, McCoy is on similar footing. McCoy has retired to Fort Worth, Texas, and has started his own real estate firm, something similar to what his brother, Case, does in Austin.

“I got an early introduction in my NFL career to guys that made the transition to life after football, older guys, and I saw there were challenges,” McCoy said in a phone interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

He speaks of former players who have no clue what to do once football is over. And, worse, the money is gone. It’s a sad tale repeated so often that the topic is a subject of an entire ESPN “30 For 30” documentary, appropriately titled, “Broke.”

There was no way McCoy was going to be a part of any sequel.

“I wanted to play for a long time, and I was able to carve out a nice little career,” McCoy said. “I wanted to be a little ahead, knowing that football will end for everybody.”

For McCoy, who played for five NFL teams, football ended before it technically ended.

Playing for the Arizona Cardinals in the fall of 2022, McCoy suffered a calf strain, on his 36th birthday, and was placed on injured reserve just days before the start of the regular season. He was scheduled to be Kyler Murray’s backup.

McCoy appeared in three games in 2022, and had a minor procedure on his elbow early in 2023. He was scheduled to start for Arizona that season as Murray recovered from an ACL injury.

As can happen in the NFL, the Cardinals released McCoy in late August of 2023. That time on the sidelines, and his brief return, provided just enough for McCoy to see what was coming. What was coming was The End, only there would be no press conference, no Super Bowl walk off, parade or anything else. It’s just over, and all of those people who love you and care so much usually vanish.

“When I was on IR I was close to the game, but not playing and I started the transition then,” McCoy said. “I was going to come back and be the starter but I couldn’t throw the ball the same. It was a hard reality, and I’m not the first guy for that to happen to.”

McCoy contemplated going into coaching. As an assistant. Maybe as an analyst. An NFL team, or a major college program, would have hired him. Those jobs are lifestyle choices which require a lot of time in an office, on a practice field, or in a film room.

Coaching requires much more time than playing. Spending time with his wife and their four kids was a priority.

“I’ve had the chance to think, and chew, on those different opportunities. For me, leaving the game is always hard, and it will always be a part of me,” he said. “I really want to leverage the things that I’ve learned and playing quarterback.”

Which is how he landed in Fort Worth.

He played his high school ball at 2A Jim Ned, in Tuscola. Tuscola is 23 minutes south of Abilene, and 2.3 seconds east of There Ain’t Much Here, Texas.

When McCoy and his wife contemplated where they would live in a post-NFL life, something hit him. For the first time since he was in high school, he could pick.

“This is the first chance I had to pick where I wanted to plant my roots,” he said. “Austin was awesome, but this made a whole lot of sense. I felt attracted to Fort Worth as a city, and its pace, and it’s always been a great place.”

Drafted by the Browns in 2010, McCoy had to go with the teams that wanted to give him a job. Cleveland, San Francisco, Washington, New York, and Arizona.

Fort Worth didn’t require an agent, or a conversation with the kids that they may only be here for a year.

McCoy is now a real estate guy, working for HPI, a firm that is now expanding to Fort Worth, which he will oversee.

“This is something that’s interested me for a long time, and Case has done a nice job of carving out a cool thing for himself in Austin. I am very proud of him,” McCoy said. “This is a different opportunity than where he plays.”

Do not think that McCoy’s new residence close to TCU means his allegiance to his alma mater is affected. He’s a proud Texas-ex, and like everyone associated with the school is thrilled/relieved at the current state of the football team.

But his days with football now will be from the stands.

“I don’t think football will ever leave me; there will always be a part of me in it. It’s what I’ve done my whole life,” he said. “It’s been a special part of my life, and I want to capitalize on that.”

If you want to know “How To Football,” few do it any better than McCoy.

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