Texas A&M Football: Former Aggies Von Miller, Erik McCoy have big Thursday
In case you haven’t heard, a couple Texas A&M football alumnus enjoyed themselves a great Thursday this week, the first of them being New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy. On Thursday afternoon, it was reported that McCoy signed a five-year, $63.75 million deal with the Saints, which includes $40 million guaranteed.
McCoy was a part of one an offensive line that led one of the best A&M offenses over the past five years in 2018. He was a three-year starter for the Aggies and was an SEC-All Freshman in 2016. After his junior season where he allowed just seven pressures and committed only one penalty, he opted to head to the NFL where the Saints drafted him with the 48th overall pick.
Erik McCoy: "The first thing I did was call my mom...and she burst into tears...because (new contract) is life changing stuff." pic.twitter.com/mrsLE0nJpA
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 9, 2022
He now becomes the fifth-highest paid center in the league and has certainly earned it. Since being drafted, he has allowed only two sacks in his career and has been a balanced staple of the Saints’ offensive line. As stated before, he was not the only alum to have a great Thursday, the other was former No. 2 overall pick and college football legend Von Miller.
To refresh, Miller signed a hefty six-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills this past offseason. In his team debut, he certainly made a good first impression.
Von Miller, proud Aggie & the @NFL's active sack leader, at the end of every interview over the past 12 years: "Gig 'em!"
— Texas A&M University 👍 (@TAMU) September 9, 2022
Gig 'em, @VonMiller! 👍 pic.twitter.com/o6N89C5hgV
Miller finished the contest against his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, with two sacks, four hurries, and four stops. He led both teams in sacks and had a near-elite Pro Football Focus defense grade with an 89.8.
The current NFL sack leader for the 2022-23 season was the topic of many conversations during the offseason when he signed his contract, as many believed he wasn’t worth the amount he was given. This certainly helps his case and silenced doubters for the time being, although now the topic of conversation is his interesting hair style which was revealed last night.
It’s always great to see former (yet forever always) Aggies having success after they leave. This was definitely the case on Thursday, and they should be given all the credit that is due to them. Fans should keep an eye out for McCoy as he’s poised to take another step up and Miller continues to dominate in the NFL.
