honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 5:29 a.m., Thursday, January 1, 2009

CFB: Texas QB McCoy can carry a tune, too

By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The next time Colt McCoy wants to change a play at the line of scrimmage, he might consider singing it and what octave he wants to do it in.

It turns out the Texas Longhorns quarterback has a pretty good voice to go along with that super accurate right arm of his. When he was younger, McCoy used to occasionally perform with The McCoy Family Singers, a Gospel a cappella group founded by his grandfather.

Not that he likes to talk about being a crooner, nor was he willing to sing a tune for reporters at the Fiesta Bowl upon request on Wednesday.

"I knew that was going to come up at some point," McCoy said. "The story finally got out. I can't believe it."

McCoy says he's a tenor and started singing with the family group as a child when it performed at churches, weddings and other events. McCoy is on one of the family's 11 albums, singing "Jesus Loves Me" with a group of children when he was 5 years old, his grandmother said.

"I'd been involved with that as long as I can remember," McCoy said. "They sing a lot of hymnals and contemporary Christian songs."

McCoy's grandmother, Jan McCoy, who writes some of the songs the group sings, said he wasn't a regular performer but would join in when the group's family members were invited to sing in the final number. McCoy's father, Brad, is one of five members of the group, singing baritone.

"He can sing," Jan McCoy said of her grandson, adding that he's good enough to maybe sing with the group as an adult someday if he wanted to.

"If he were interested, he really has the talent. He's occupied with other things right now," she said.

McCoy said he still sings in church, but hasn't joined the family group for an event since he started college.

Jordan Shipley, McCoy's roommate and best friend on the team, said McCoy is too bashful to belt out any tunes in the locker room.

"I've heard him singing with the radio. He's pretty good," Shipley said. "Several of the guys have the family CDs. I had a couple of them for a while."

McCoy was a little red-faced by the revelation of his singing voice and took some good-natured ribbing from teammates after his interview.

"You can sing," wide receiver Quan Cosby said, "but it's not that great."