Lesean McCoy on Chip Kelly: "There's a reason Chip got rid of all the good black players."

[nctarheel0619]

LESEAN MCCOY'S SIX seasons in Philadelphia established him not only as a star -- he's the NFL's third-leading rusher since being drafted in 2009 -- but also as an icon for the Eagles. That changed in March, when the team shipped him to Buffalo, where he agreed to a five-year, $40 million deal. McCoy recently sat down with The Mag to discuss his trade to Buffalo, his impressions of coach Rex Ryan and whether there is a race issue with his former coach, the Eagles' Chip Kelly.

 

The Mag: You've spent your entire life in Pennsylvania -- as a kid in Harrisburg, going to college in Pittsburgh and then playing in Philadelphia. How does it feel to be in a different state and different environment?

McCoy: It's a lot different. Everybody who's been influential in my life was just a phone call away, an hour away, two hours at the most. And everybody got to see me play -- friends I grew up with, families that have supported me, coaches. My son, I could see him as much as I wanted. But it's a business. I'm happy here. Great coaching staff. It's actually a nice city. I don't think they give it enough credit. There's a lot to do here. Also, Toronto is down the street. That's always fun.

 

There was a report that at first you didn't want to come here.

To be honest, I didn't want to come. I really didn't. I was so angry at first. You take a guy who's made his whole name and career in Philadelphia and move him. I didn't know anything about Buffalo, so I didn't want to go. But when you sit back and you really analyze just the good things here, it makes a lot of things better.

 

Has your impression of Buffalo changed in the past couple of months?

The first thing you think is, "Oh, it's cold, there's nothing to do." But the people in the city were so helpful, so nice. Then the second thing was the players. They're really talented. People don't know that. They haven't been to the playoffs in a long time, so there hasn't been anything too positive footballwise. But things change. I think the owners, the Pegulas, have done a great job of getting the right personnel and coaches here to change this thing around.

 

You gave the impression when you first got here that you didn't feel like you were appreciated or wanted in Philadelphia.

I just think it was tough to be thinking every year, "Am I on the team? Am I off the team?" I guess here, it's like, "This is my team. They're giving me a lot of room to be the guy here." And that's how I like it. I want to be the guy that leads the team to victories.

 

You've had three practices with Rex at the helm. What is his personality like on the field?

Laid-back. He wants the guys to have fun. It's work, but enjoy it. His approach is how a player approaches it. It's no surprise, because in his family, football is everything. You can just see that in the way he runs everything.

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12827934/buffalo-bills-running-back-lesean-mccoy-discusses-race-chip-kelly-rex-ryan

 

https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/595955378245996545/photo/1

[t96]

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA

[nctarheel0619]

I think I understand the way life works," Agholor recently said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I don't feel like I'm entitled to anything. ... Work like a peasant. That's the mind-set."

 

Nelson already knows.  

[Growl]

Didn't he just try to trade his entire team for a black guy

[nctarheel0619]

Didn't he just try to trade his entire team for a black guy

 

Mariota is Hawaiian.  

[jumpman910]

Didn't he just try to trade his entire team for a black guy

Who mariota?

[KSpan]

Didn't he just try to trade his entire team for a black guy

And traded away his white QB. Kelly might just have it out for Type A assertive players.

[Growl]

Mariota is Hawaiian.

Well alright.

[ctrcat]

Woah

[Darth Biscuit]

Ummm, isn't Demarco Murray black?

[L-TownCat]

He hurt my feelings...

 

RACIST!!

[joemac]

It would be pretty difficult to be a racist and be a football coach in this day and age...considering probably 75%, maybe more, of players are black.

Sure would make going to work really shitty if you had to be around a bunch of people you fundamentally hated all day everyday...

[CelibatePimp]

All I see when I hear Chip Kelly is Schiano or Harbaugh. I don't think he'll last long in the NFL with the way he handles these grown ass men.

[PanthersUnited]

This thread calls for the Michael Jordan laughing gif