Tennessee’s players, like all college athletes, have already been pegged into an unfair hole by NIL. Vols’ receiver Bru McCoy is out to change that.
Just like every college athlete in the NIL era, McCoy certainly cares about what ends up his pocket in many of his financial dealings. That’s fair. He, however, should be able to profit off of his name, image and likeness, but that’s not the buck that McCoy is trying to turn.
One might also think that McCoy, 24, is ready to get the heck out of Dodge. Despite his elite ability and best intentions, his college football career has been a wreck. McCoy transferred three times before ending up at Tennessee, overcame an odd law hiccup from Southern California and then, when he was ready to contribute as one of the best receivers in the nation, suffered a devastating ankle injury against South Carolina last year. Nevermind, McCoy has the dedication to overcome, which is why he’s one of the most highly anticipated players in the SEC this season.
McCoy can thank his grandfather, Tom Snyder, for much of that. Snyder was a mentor for McCoy, who found out his grandfather was battling cancer just as he was rehabbing from that ankle injury. Snyder passed away in December as an avid golfer. That’s why McCoy’s golf tournament, which bears his name and held its inaugural event on Saturday, will donate portions of the tournament to cancer research.
“He was walking 18 up until weeks before he passed,” McCoy said of his grandfather, who was a dedicated golfer. “I really wanted to kind of find a way to have him be involved in what I do. He loved the golf…When I went home to visit my grandfather in the hospital, part of his rehab every day was to get out out of the bed and walk. And that was right around the time I flew home. My boot popped in the airplane from the pressure.
“The boot wasn’t worth anything, so I got off the plane. When I got to the hospital, I said, ‘All right, I’m gonna pop this boot off and we’ll walk down this hallway together. So that was the first day I walked. And then I look at, you know, from that day in the hospital with him till going out in the field and running routes in the morning like nothing’s changed. And it’s a blessing. You know, I’m extremely thankful.”
Knoxville should be thankful as well. Tennessee has a transplant that loves East Tennessee seemingly as much as a lifelong resident. NIL is a big part of that.
“All the college athlete know the college athletes that didn’t get anything,” said Jamie Eady, with Volunteer Auto Group, who helped spearhead McCoy’s golf tournament. “They’ve been told. So they’re thrilled. For the most part, they definitely appreciate it. It’s a game changer. I think it’s a great opportunity for them. I really do.”
McCoy and every college football player that is willing to work at it will have NIL opportunity. The money can be obscene, but that’s simply the way the market has worked out. Plus, Tennessee gets a player who appreciates his opportunity enough to actually give back with nothing expected in return.
“This is a fundraiser,” McCoy said of Sunday’s event. “Obviously you do have to make money to cover your cost, but the majority of the proceeds go towards towards other stuff. What I get out of this is the day? The experience and everything like that. So it’s it’s an incredible opportunity. Uh, I’m not a great golfer, but I’m getting there. So, you know, it’s another day to get better, too.”
And make Knoxville better as well.
