Did Married Life Stunt McCown’s Growth?
March 27th, 2014Joe’s got plenty of readers who sit around and drink beer and talk about or think about how their wife or girlfriend or kids are holding them back from professional success.
Sometimes it’s real; sometimes it’s imagined.
It seems Bucs starting quarterback Josh McCown has plenty in common with these average Joes.
In a revealing interview with BSPN recently, McCown revealed that it wasn’t just exposure to quarterbacks guru/Bears head coach Marc Trestman that revived his career in Chicago. It was better management of his family life.
McCown wasn’t sure he was giving football his all before he got to Chicago.
“A lot of it’s work ethic, it’s the time I spent in the facility and working and the hours I put in that were different than I had done in previous years,” McCown said.
“I think a lot of things go into that. Early in my career, we moved out to Arizona. We had young kids. You know, we were young parents, and a young married couple. All those things go into, you know, trying to juggle what everyday people that work go through, you know juggling careers and family and those things that we value. We were no different. So I think from a maturity standpoint for me, just growing and understanding how to prioritize those things, how to give them the right time and the right focus.”
In addition to harder work as a QB, McCown said Trestman’s offensive plans in Chicago “felt so good” and he such complete “confidence and trust in the coaches” that he was inspired to greatness.
Wow. Well, NFL newcomer Jeff Tedford sure has a super high standard to live up to — the Bears’ offense was ranked No. 2 in the NFL last year.
As for McCown now effectively managing his family time, that was quite a curveball revelation. He’s not your typical NFL player. As McCown said in the interview, he was so grateful to be in the league when he figured out some of the mistakes of his professional past. Few players, at any position, get that opportunity.
March 27th, 2014 at 3:23 pm
McCown sounding better and better with everything I read.
March 27th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Well, we will see if there truly is a reborn Josh McCown….Freeman wasn’t married, so what was his excuse?….I guess not being married…
March 27th, 2014 at 3:34 pm
who knows but trestman does has alchemy tho lol
March 27th, 2014 at 3:47 pm
I just hope we find out that it wasn’t just the coach as the reason for his success last year, and he doesn’t resort back to the McCown of old this year.
Hopefully the light clicked on and stayed on.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:07 pm
Speaking of Freeman. Pat White signed today with the Edmonton Eskimos so maybe Josh has a chance to play professional football agian. Could see him fitting in nicely with the Montreal Alouettes.
Maybe Josh McCown is the next late bloomer falling into Kurt Warners path to excellence. Seems like a great guy who could be in the right place at the right time. Or maybe the football gods bless the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the man named J.Manziel.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:08 pm
Mccowns wife is smoking hot.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:08 pm
See I think the exact opposite way. I think married players are more focused because they are not out partying every night.
TBBF…I used to say that about Freeman too. That he needs to get married so he might get his head on straight.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:09 pm
The McCown signing will end up being the biggest disaster of the Lovie Smith era if they do not draft a QB within the first two rounds this year.
There is zero chance McCown ends up playing well for us outside of a couple games. Still, if they draft a good QB to compete with Glennon for a year, I’m willing to sit thru a rough season so we can properly develop a real franichise QB.
But I guarantee that if McCown loses 2-3 games in the first quarter, every freaking Tampa fan will want someone else as starter.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:13 pm
Lovie Smith hasn’t even spoken to his team yet, much less had an era.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:13 pm
Maze Says
“Maybe Josh McCown is the next late bloomer falling into Kurt Warners path to excellence.”
lol…that’s unlikely. Josh is all hype over a few games. Only reason he did not retire is because he saw he would finally get a good payday. He did…and there is every chance he’ll retire next year.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:14 pm
Could it be lol
March 27th, 2014 at 4:14 pm
Eric, that’s why I said “will end up”. As in future-tense.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:30 pm
I think McCown is a solid option right now. Maybe he’s not a big time play maker, but he is a veteran and thrived under a system last year that put a lot on the QB. He’s obviously not the future of the franchise, but he may be just what we need to win now while we groom a draft pick. I wish him and whoever the best of luck. May the best man win.
March 27th, 2014 at 4:53 pm
Kevin Says:
I think McCown is a solid option right now.
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No! Can’t be true! Buccaneer Bonzai says so!
March 27th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
Man o man I can just hear it now ,Manziel for president!!Cut it out with this rookie bull****
March 27th, 2014 at 5:40 pm
who did you want vick? like he’s so good? McCown has the hot hand and was the best free agent QB this year.but that just my opinion
March 27th, 2014 at 5:42 pm
Not sure Joe is down with having a married QB…..the Joes prefer someone who can still “pull”
March 27th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
No article on the Mike Williams hearing!! Readers deserve to know what he has to do for charges to be dropped.
It’s really a big nothing. Joe will write about it tomorrow. –Joe
March 27th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
awe….yawn…off season stories…”banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee”
March 27th, 2014 at 6:32 pm
McCown is the perfect guy to mentor Mike Glennon, or another young QB.
I hope we draft: OT/Clowney/Mack/Watkins/trade back. BPA Booya!
March 27th, 2014 at 6:56 pm
finishers Says
“who did you want vick?”
NOOO! I would stop going to games if Vick were signed.
I would have preferred to wait for a better QB to be cut, or to acquire in a player for player trade.
March 27th, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Listen let’s be honest. It takes a lot of luck to win a championship or even go deep into the playoffs. Luck in terms of injuries and players playing up to their potential. The Bucs can dive deep into the luck pool.
What if Carl Nicks can play and becomes the beast he used to be. That will make our new Center that much better and our new left tackle as well. We could actually have the offensive line we’ve dreamed of. Luck is required.
Q.B. What if McCown truly has learned from his past. What if he measures up to Rich Gannon or Brad Johnson, two Q.B.’s who faced each other in a S.B.
What if the new DL turn out to be the real deal, freeing Gerald and some hotshot rookie like Mack to put up big numbers. As a group these guys could be great. That will make our secondary look that much better. What if Mike Jenkins returns to form, and Banks really blossoms in year two? Luck.
What if we draft a couple of great receivers to go with VJAX. What if Jeff Demps decides to dedicate himself to football and Jeff Tedford figures out a way to use the fastest guy in the NFL.
If we have LUCK and ALL of these pieces fall into place the Bucs could truly be an excellent team next year. Just need a lot of breaks and pieces falling into place.
March 27th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
This thing has completely gone off the rails….are you freakin serious?
March 27th, 2014 at 8:10 pm
man everybody keep calm! how can you say a qb who thrived in chicagos system can’t flourish in a system with a better supporting cast around him. first off doug martin is gonna give you more than an aged matt forte,vincent jackson is better at finding open space and route running than a brandon marshall tho vjax is aged and mike williams attacks the ball in the air like alshon jeffery and a speedy louis murphy in the slot and tim wright the only player i think liked from the schiano era and worked at transferring from wr to te and if he’s willing to learn to block and buys into what lovie and co has in store this team could turn last years hate into this years great
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!
p.s. still sad revis didnt make the cut but i think the move was smart and it was a statement lovie wasnt gonna sit and roll out the red carpet for revis….lovie probably walked into to one buc ran into revis and said ” oh!…so this is what a 16 million dollar cornerback looks like?…not impressed.”
March 27th, 2014 at 8:29 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai. There’s this thing called Hari Kari… Just saying it’s worth considering based on your negative comments. Bonzai!!!
March 27th, 2014 at 9:08 pm
Yeah far better to work out, endlessly, to you know “look good”…with no purpose…much easier to master an NFL playbook when you’re surfing thru life trying to hop from one chick to another, always in a new town…
A family gave the man perspective, helped him become the man he was supposed to be. Anyone who says differently is probably lamely blaming his significant other for the consequences of his own IN-action.
It’s weak. If you think he was better before marriage – then got worse – then got better after getting married -you should probably not be drinking anymore beer from your mom’s ‘frige.
If you asked McCown to clarify, he’d probably tell you he wouldn’t change a thing. He just may not be the type that draws inspiration from clocking his girl in an elevator and then dragging her to the room…
March 27th, 2014 at 9:34 pm
Married could be positive for any players career(as far as not partying). However, a couple kids (I love mine to death)are time consuming and could definitely make something as demanding as an NFL players career very dificult to focus 100% on work (practice, film, training, philanthropy, ect.). Who knows, maybe at this stage in his life he can finally focus on football as much as any “great” player does.
March 28th, 2014 at 12:28 am
And Alshon Jeffery is a beast and Brandon Marshall is no slouch either. We have VJax and a bunch of slow WRs. Time for an upgrade. I question whether Mike Williams’ head is in the game all the way.
March 28th, 2014 at 1:30 am
McCown has little wear and tear on his body in the past and should be an accurate passer at least to the age Peyton is still accurate and maybe beyond. We got a good Veteran QB who can diagnose defenses and change calls and execute an up tempo offense. Now we just need to get a QB at 7 to insure Lovie will one day retire a Buc and to be competitive for a SB every year!
March 28th, 2014 at 3:05 am
Not saying he’s great or anything, but BigMac…… Murphy is far from slow. Just saying
March 28th, 2014 at 8:04 am
Big Mac…. VJax is a slow reciever too….
March 28th, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Capt.Stagger
Since 2008, league leaders in yards per catch
1) Vincent Jackson-17.7
2) Malcolm Floyd 17.6
3) Desean Jackson 17.2
Can a 5’10 midget outrun him? Yeah
But for 6’5″, 230- he’s a rocket