When the school year began in 2002, less than a year after the operation on his brain, McCoy vowed to his mother that he would not only graduate high school but that he would go on to college and excel at football and eventually reach the National Football League. She supported him all the way, even showing up to Blue Raiders games during his redshirt freshman year when he couldn’t play because she told him he was still part of the team and that she should be there.
“It [the surgery] definitely made me thankful for every day and my family was a great support system,” McCoy said. “They’re very proud of me and very proud of everything I went through and how far I’ve come.”
At the end of his junior year of college in 2008, Levonia wanted to put to rest some of her motherly concerns about her son’s health so she ordered him to have another MRI done of his brain. The results were comforting as the scan showed no sign of a returning tumor, and during his pre-draft visit with the Indianapolis Colts, McCoy had another MRI done, which also was negative.
So when draft weekend arrived, McCoy was surrounded by family and friends the first two days and then was with just his mother and his girlfriend on the third day when he finally got the call from the Dolphins. Levonia remembers how stressed her son was as the hours went by and his name wasn’t called. She also remembered the promise he made that day before school as a junior after he had struggled to get out of bed and she suggested he quit school and get a job. So when his name was called she was amused at his reaction.
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