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McCoy anxious to show off skills

Linebacker Rico McCoy proved himself to be one of the top players in the Maryland/D.C. area with a very strong junior season. Now he's looking forward to showcasing his skills against the best talent in the nation.
"I want to go to the best camps out there and go up against some of the other top guys in the country, because I don't think that many of them can compete with me," laughed McCoy. "I went to the Michigan camp last year and was with the seniors. I'd like to go to Maryland's camp this year since it's so close, and I definitely want to go to Miami's. They haven't sent me an invitation yet, but I'm definitely going. That's the kind of big stage I want to get on. My goal is to impress a lot of people at the camps and then have a great senior season. I'm going to be on that Rivals All-American team this year."
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The 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker from Washington (D.C.) St. John's College runs the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds and certainly doesn't lack confidence. He's got good reason to expect big things from himself, with offers from Maryland, Pitt and Syracuse already on the table.
McCoy lines up at inside linebacker for St. John's, but is projected to move outside at the next level. As a junior he racked up 120 tackles, five sacks and forced three fumbles. He also saw a little time at running back last year, but knows his future is on defense.
"I'm hearing from schools like Michigan, Ohio State, Virginia, Boston College, Florida, Miami, Arizona, Oregon and some others, besides the three that have offered," he said. "I'm not leaning in any direction and I'm open to anybody that is interested. I grew up a big Penn State fan, but I'm not going to let that influence me too much."
What are McCoy's strengths as a player?
"I'm real aggressive and I don't stop until that whistle blows. I hit hard from the beginning of the game until the end. I'm not going to slow down at all. Every play is a potential knockout," he laughed. "I've got that linebackers mentality."
McCoy has already had a chance to get to know three college head coaches personally.
"Last year at the Michigan camp I had lunch with Coach Carr, and he's a real good guy. I've also talked to Coach Friedgen from Maryland and Coach Pasqualoni from Syracuse. They all seem to be real cool guys I can relate to."
That bodes well for each of those three schools.
"The player-coach relationship is going to be a big factor in my decision," he said. "I'm going to be there for four or five years so things like that matter a lot. I'll be looking at the academic support too."
As a junior McCoy was named first team all-conference, and he's in good position to receive all-state honors this year.
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