Jason McCourty officially retired from the NFL after thirteen seasons in the league. During his career, he played for the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and Miami Dolphins. McCourty announced his retirement in an Instagram post with a caption saying, “These past 13 seasons have been one hell of a journey, And as I reflect and look back on my career, I have far surpassed any and every expectation I set for myself back in 2009 — and that’s what I’m most proud of when I look back at my career.” McCourty had an incredible career in the NFL and will be remembered as an incredible leader on and off of the field.
Career Recap
College Career
After being an unranked recruit coming out of high school, McCourty attended Rutgers University. Over four seasons at Rutgers, he racked up 98 tackles, two interceptions (including a pick six), and twelve passes defended. McCourty also returned kicks during his senior season. On 17 kick returns, he totaled 438 yards for an average of 25.8 yards per return.
Although he did not do any drills at the combine, McCourty had an amazing Pro Day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds. Along with this, he got 15 reps in the bench press, had a 36.5’ vertical jump, a 10’05” long jump, a 4.25 second 20-yard shuffle, and ran the 3 cone drill in 6.67 seconds. The Pro Day was a perfect opportunity for McCourty to show off his speed and athleticism. After the Pro Day, McCourty’s stock was trending up, and he was turning the heads of scouts.
The 2009 draft class has gone down as a rather weak one, however, McCourty is one of the few bright spots out in the class. Despite this, he would slip in the draft and be selected by the Tenessee Titans in the sixth round with the 203rd overall pick.
NFL Career
Coming into the league, McCourty had to work his way up the depth chart, however, he started in three games in his rookie season. This is quite the feat for many rookies, especially one that was a 6th-round pick. He would remain a member of the Titans for eight seasons. Over his first eight years in the league, he totaled 108 games (90 of which he started in), 419 tackles, 13 interceptions for 99 yards, 73 passes deflected, one sack, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, two fumbles returned for touchdowns, and 139 fumble return yards. On rare occasions, he also returned four kicks over his Titans career. On those four kick returns, he had 86 yards. After leaving the Titans, McCourty did not return another kick. He then became a member of the Cleveland Browns for a single season. In his year with the Browns, McCourty started in fourteen games. In those games, he had three picks for 59 yards and a touchdown, two forced fumbles, and 63 tackles. After his year with the Browns, McCourty went to the New England Patriots where he would see the most team success of his career. During his four years with the Patriots, he would become a Super Bowl champion. After New England, he played just one more season with the Miami Dolphins before retiring. McCourty will be remembered as a great player as well as a great leader. Along with his on-the-field accomplishments, he was also an active volunteer and a recipient of the Walter Peyton Man of the Year award.
