Erik McCoy Shines As Lufkin High’s Latest NFL Success Story

Lufkin High has produced some notable NFL stars over the years. The biggest name, hands down, has to be Dez Bryant. But you also have guys like Joe Robb and Don Muhlbach that had long NFL careers. Believe it or not, Lufkin High has produced 18 NFL players over the years.

Currently, of those 18, 2 are still active in the NFL - Ja'Lynn Polk of the New England Patriots and Erik McCoy. Unfortunately, Polk had a rough rookie year and had to have shoulder surgery that will cause him to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season.

However, fellow Lufkin High alum Erik McCoy is poised to have another fantastic season with the New Orleans Saints.

Lufkin Alumni Erik McCoy's Upcoming NFL Season

Erik McCoy is a Lufkin, Texas native, attended Lufkin High, went to college at Texas A&M and, since Jason Kelce retired, is arguably the best center in all of Football.

McCoy has been a Pro Bowler the last two seasons and with a new offensive minded head coach, he and the offense could be in for a big year.

READ MORE: Lufkin Panther LEGEND Dez Bryant Nominated For Award

Now, being a center, there's not a lot of stats you can point to and say "That's why he's the best in the NFL". But here's a little breakdown - he's got a high football IQ, can block in both the running and passing game and is just a freak athlete for a man his size. But, maybe the most telling stat is this - last year when he was healthy, the Saints offense looked pretty good. When he missed time due to injury, they looked terrible.

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Why Erik McCoy is Key for the Saints

According to Pro Football Focus, who breaks down the analytical data and ranks players, Erik McCoy is the 4th rated center in all of football. He's good in both the run game and passing game.

You pair his elite abilities with skill players like Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed with Kellen Moore's love of RPOs and play action, and the Saints offense could actually be pretty decent.

READ MORE: 28 Texas High School Football Teams Are Already In The Playoffs

The NFC South is typically one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. The Buccaneers have made the playoffs 5 years in a row - otherwise, it's not very strong. The Panthers have lost at least 10 games a season for 6 straight seasons, the Falcons never seem to be able to finish.

The Saints are interesting because their starters are either really old or really inexperienced. But, they win a few games in a row and Kellen Moore figures something out offensively and you never know what they might be able to accomplish.

Either way, we'll be rooting for Lufkin native Erik McCoy to have another Pro Bowl/All-Pro type season with the Saints.