GMC Is Not Kellen Winslow
December 16th, 2014
Gerald McCoy said he has the mentality of a soldier and doesn’t want to come off the field when injured.
Uh, oh.
Yesterday, when the Bucs stud defensive tackle and unquestioned leader of the defense, Gerald McCoy, discussed his season-ending knee injury with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, he pulled out the old “I’m a soldier” card.
Sort of.
We all know how well that went over the last time a football player did that.
But this is different. When Kellen Winslow pulled that stunt, he went off on some juvenile Rambo rant declaring he wanted to blast opponents because others were trying to take his knees out (so he claimed), and he tried to make people think he was some modern version of Audie Murphy, leading a seek-and-destroy mission behind enemy lines.
Hence, why Joe dubbed him “Sgt. Winslow.”
GMC’s chat was nothing of the sort. He spoke with a broad smile on his face discussing how some teammates were telling him not to get back in the game at Carolina and risk further injury. They told him he was more important to the team healthy and not maimed, as documented by Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
“I had Clint (McDonald) come over and Vincent Jackson came over and then Lavonte (David) comes over and says, ‘Just sit down,’’’ McCoy said. “But hey, I’m a soldier, and real soldiers — real soldiers, in order to make them stop you have to kill them. And I kind of have that mentality.”
Notice GMC never tried to claim he was some marine dodging artillery and machine guns on Iwo Jima. He made sure to discuss “real soldiers,” not pretend to be one.
GMC also added that there is no medical procedure needed on his knee in the offseason, that had this been the middle of the season, he likely would have missed a couple of games. That’s why he was placed on injured reserve.
So before you get started, don’t even think of comparing GMC to Winslow. There is no comparison.
December 16th, 2014 at 8:17 am
As musch as i hated the trade for Winslow, trading a 2nd and 5th for a Tightend that could not block and a very bad Injury history. That played for 1 1/2 years and limp around for the rest of the time. That could never practice and was a bad personality in the locker room for a young rebuilding team.
when he said this he was in college. he is dumb, yes. But at least he was young and dumb when he said this.
what is worst is when dominik traded for him, that is the real dummy!!!!!!!
December 16th, 2014 at 8:18 am
My favorite post game rant
December 16th, 2014 at 8:21 am
My ears perked up when I heard that as well. I knew that would cause some people to draw that comparison. I was glad to hear him qualify his usage of the word and offer up the proper respect to actual soldiers by saying that what he adopted was a mentality and not saying that playing football was the equivalent of what soldiers endure. Wouldn’t expect anything else from GMC though. Classy dude.
December 16th, 2014 at 8:37 am
Winslow was a primmadona and a diva, McCoy is the antithesis of them. I know a couple of those words will confuse a number of people who post out here so go look them up.
December 16th, 2014 at 8:59 am
Unfortunately GMC doesn’t understand military leadership.
The first responsiblity of command leaders is the lives and welfare of their men. Bring them back alive and if wounded, get them out of harm’s way.
“In order to make them stop you have to kill them?” Unfortunatley, GMC, has not spent enough time with those who lead and those who serve.
December 16th, 2014 at 9:02 am
No comparison needed: GMC seems like a decent human being, albeit a bit too nice on the field to opponents at times while Winslow was an arrogant primadonna. Enough said…
December 16th, 2014 at 9:19 am
@Tom – If the responsibility of military leadership was to keep their people out of harms way then we wouldn’t engage in war. Going to war is knowingly going in to harms way. The responsibility of leadership is mission completion with minimal friendly casualties. To apply this situation to the military dynamic, the soldier (GMC) is focused on accomplishing the mission and supporting his fellow soldiers at all costs until the leadership (Lovie) sees that the mission will not be accomplished this year and reverts to casualty mitigation mode.
December 16th, 2014 at 9:54 am
political correctness for military terminology is over blown considering we all have choices that groove our lives….*yawn
December 16th, 2014 at 10:03 am
@ Patrick: You need to re-read what I said, I did not say the responsibility was to keep them out of harm’s way. They go into harm’s way and the job is to bring them back.
Read carefully before you spout off sir.
December 16th, 2014 at 10:09 am
@Tom – If that was your intention then I apologize for misreading it. I may have applied a different tone in reading it than was intended. If that’s the case, then I retract the tone of my retort.
December 16th, 2014 at 10:53 am
I get what GMC is saying.