Randy McCown eager to watch nephew as UTSA's starting QB

There is no doubt former A&M QB Randy McCown will be tuned into Saturday's season-opener, as his nephew Owen McCown is the starting signal-caller for UTSA. Randy joined TexAgs Live to explain what it will be like seeing Owen play at Kyle Field.

Key notes from Randy McCown interview

• There is so much excitement for me for this game. The climate of college football is right now. It is always changing. There are new faces coming in, and with what Mike Elko did last year, there is a lot of positive buzz for the Aggies going into this year.
   
• Owen McCown is a great kid. Josh McCown and his wife, Natalie McCown, did a wonderful job. Owen knows ball inside and out. He has been around football his entire life. He is tough. He’s a good player, and he is everything you want your quarterback to be. He has a lot of runway in front of him for where he can go. He just has to take it one game at a time. During the summers, we did a lot of football camps. When our kids were growing up, there was always a ball at our football camps being thrown around. Now, he is the only lefty out of the boys. As he started to grow and develop, he started to come on and show his talent.
   
• The family having football success is really unique. It was never really the game plan. The first college football game I ever attended was on my recruiting trip to A&M. What Josh and Luke McCown did in the NFL, what I did, what Owen and Aidan, Josh’s two boys. We have Ryan McCown and Brady McCown, my two sons, who are playing QB. Luke’s son Jonah plays as well. They’ve all played quarterback at some level collegiately. It has really been a huge blessing and has been a lot of fun. We are very excited about the situation that we are getting this weekend, and we just get to sit back and soak it all in.
   
• This is the second time this has happened, where I’ve had family play against A&M. In Luke’s junior or senior year at Louisiana Tech, they played A&M. Luke made a long run. I jumped up and just reacted to it. Being happy for my brother. Then people see me excited, and connect that he’s my brother. People ask me who I am rooting for. My A&M blood runs deep, but the McCown blood runs first. I am probably the only person in the stadium in this position. I will be happier for Owen, but happy either way. The wide receiver for UTSA, Devin McCuin, was Ryan’s best friend growing up. So I have been coaching him since he was in Little Dribblers, and then Jeff Traylor is a close family friend.
   
• Traylor came in during my senior year. I want to say he was an offensive line coach. At the time, I thought he was old. Looking back, Traylor is only eight years older than me. I have known Traylor for a long time. Just to know the phenomenal human being. Just to know that everywhere he has gone, he has had success. I was rooting for him during our last coaching search. But obviously, we have a good coach in Elko. I do think we are going to do great things there. But yes, Traylor is a great friend and a great human being.
   
• I knew Traylor would be a great coach, without a doubt. He relates to players, he knows ball. But his gift is really relating to his players. That has allowed him to continue to be successful. Even as this NIL thing has gotten bigger and bigger. To me, what makes college football great is the relationships formed with players and coaches, as well as the traditions. But as NIL continues to evolve, some of that stuff is getting less significant. That is what makes a place like UTSA a great place to be.
   
• From an offensive standpoint, Traylor is willing to work with what he has got. A couple of years ago, their strength was more on the outside, for receiver talent. From what I have gathered, they are stronger with the tight end presence. He does a good job at seeing what he has and putting them in the best spot. He’s going to work towards his strengths. He is a phenomenal motivator, and that equates to what he has done thus far.
   
• Branndon Stewart and I were going back and forth. But when you know you are the guy, it builds your confidence and changes your mindset on things. You feel it is on you now. It translates to your workouts and practices. You just carry yourself differently. And then you can just lead. You don’t worry about what if I mess up or get pulled this week, it allows you to play freely and confidently. Marcel Reed will be able to play better than he did last year because he should have just continued to grow with that confidence. When you get that rolling, you are at your best.
   
• If you have a team-first mindset, even though you want to be the guy... When you have that, that is one of the great things from 1998. Looking back at '98, when I got hurt, Stewart stepped in and played the way he did against Kansas State. That right there is a perfect example of how good our QB room was; you had team-first guys. Some guys would’ve gotten their feelings hurt. And wouldn’t have been ready to play. But Stewart was ready, and as for me too. When you have unselfish guys on the team, that is when great things can happen.
   
• During my time, we had the Wrecking Crew. We had Reggie Brown, Ray Mickens, Ed Jasper, and Brandon Mitchell. Guys who were a part of my group. Then we had Dat Nguyen and others come later. Now, it feels like it is starting to come back. What Elko is building talent-wise, many other coaches are saying A&M is starting to feel like what it used to. You want A&M to represent what we are about. Elko is bringing us back to what we are. From teams of the past, it fits with the Aggie mindset because that is just who we are.
   
• Back then, we controlled how tough we wanted to be, and that is the thing that makes A&M a special place. Aggies never quit, we will outwork anybody, and you put all of those things together, and that makes A&M who we are. And when you put that on the field, that is what makes you proud.
   
• Dan Campbell has been a phenomenal leader, especially that first year when the Lions weren’t doing too good. I encouraged him. A coach told me you find out who your real friends are when you are losing. When you are winning, everybody calls you. Campbell has toughness, discipline, a work ethic and loved his teammates. That works in any realm. Whether it is starting a restaurant, working at a lumber mill, or coaching the Detroit Lions... People are seeing these core principles and good humanity from Campbell. It translates, and that is what the Detroit Lions have done.
   
• I love seeing those videos like my touchdown to Chris Taylor. It was one of those things. There was no other option. I just had to put it out there and put some air under it. Taylor could fly. Just put it up there, and he did the rest. I can’t believe 30 years later we are still talking about it.