LeSean McCoy had his first press conference with the media as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday where he expressed what made him choose the Bucs, why he’s still playing, and what he’ll bring to the team.

McCoy said that there were a couple of teams that reached out to him this offseason, but nothing enticed him the way that the Bucs could. Signing a one-year deal worth just over $1 million, money wasn’t a motive, it was about having a group of players around him that push each other to be successful.

“I want to win,” McCoy said. “I want to contribute, I need something to push me, I wanna be with a group of guys that want to win and I think this is a perfect place. You talk about Rob [Gronkowski] seeing how he came back, and you bring Tom Brady here with already the group of guys they have here as far as the young guys.

RB LeSean McCoy and Te Rob Gronkowski
– Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I want to be part of it, I really do. It’s a good mixture of leadership with age and also the youth, the talent. They’re building something special here, I truly believe that, so any way possible I’m willing to help out and contribute. “

At 32 years of age, many players at his position of running back have already hung up the helmet and shoulder pads. But McCoy believes he’s till got something left in the tank.

“I love to compete.” McCoy said. “When somebody says you can’t do something or asks if you can do something, it makes you want to go. And that’s kind of my situation.”

While he was on the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs last season, McCoy did not participate in the playoffs or the Super Bowl itself, so the motivation to contribute in hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is still there, and he thinks he can help the Bucs do it this season.

“I think another part of that is just to go out there and show players and teams that I still can play,” McCoy said. “I did a lot of great things in my career but I’m not finished. When I decide to step out on the field and continue my career, that means a lot. I really dive in, I give it my all, and that can be a lot of different things from on the field playing to actually helping out the younger guys in the room.”

McCoy’s role will be different than when he was in his prime. The Bucs have a young group at running back with Ronald Jones, Dare Ogunbowale and rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn, so McCoy plans on mentoring this room that he is now part of. He also gave a ringing endorsement to Jones, saying he knows Jones is the number one back on this team.

“It’s his role,” McCoy said. “It’s his job, he’s the guy here and I want to help him out anyway possible. I see he has a lot of talent, a lot of talent, and if I can help him out to better him for our team, I want to do that.”

RB LeSean McCoy and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Other roles haven’t been established yet for the Bucs, but it’s believed that McCoy will help out with the receiving game in a third down role. With quarterback Tom Brady known to utilize his running backs often on passing plays, McCoy plans on carving out this niche for him in the offense and has already talked to Brady about it. He’s gone as far as even reaching out to Brady’s former teammates for advice on how to work with him.

“One of the first things I asked him [Brady] was ‘Hey, make sure you let me know what you want out of the running backs group from receiving,” McCoy said. “Because I know you did a lot of that’.  I reached out to Dion Lewis and asked about what Tom likes in the receiving backs and probably going to reach out to James White next. I’ve had to beat a linebacker and lineman in the hole and things like that, so to run a route and beat a guy, I feel comfortable with that and getting out in space. Also when you’re doing that you become a threat.”