By Bruce Campbell, Staff Writer

NORMAN — There are two Gerald McCoys.

One is the star Oklahoma defensive lineman who vows to be meaner and play with “more of an attitude’’ on the field to help the Sooners win a national championship.

Then there’s the McCoy who said he passed up the NFL Draft last spring to graduate from college on time and has plans to be a community activist.

“My personalities are different,’’ said McCoy at OU’s recent Media Day. “I always try to be mean on the field, but I just love people. There’s something in my adrenaline that causes me to change once I get on the field.’’

McCoy’s face lit up as he signed posters for the state’s Special Olympians as he talked with the media.

“It’s always good to be an inspiration to somebody,’’ said the Oklahoma City Southeast product.

His inspiration was his mother, the late Patricia McCoy. He plans to be a motivational speaker and start a community and day care center after his football days.

“That’s (helping people) the way she was,’’ McCoy said. “That’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.

“Football has helped me make a name for myself. I can go pursue a career where people know who I am and what I’m all about.’’

He’s all about education first. McCoy said he came back to OU instead of going into the NFL Draft last spring “strictly for graduation.’’ He is scheduled to graduate no later than next May in Human Relations.

“I take a lot of pride in that,’’ McCoy said. “I made my family a promise to graduate and that’s what I’m going to do. I am a role model.’’

McCoy was an Associated Press second-team All-American last fall after having 11 tackles for losses and 6.5 quarterback sacks.

McCoy is motivated by the defense being called soft last season and riding on the tails of a Sam Bradford-led offense (51.1 points per game).

McCoy believed some of the criticism was valid.

“We weren’t as angry as we needed to be,’’ he said. “But we’re going to change that this year.’’

McCoy sees the Sooners being the angry beast defensive coordinator Brent Venables wants them to be.

“It’s more of an attitude,’’ McCoy said. “We had all the talent to be that way last year, but it was a different mindset and attitude. That’s what has to change.’’

McCoy said he was developing a different attitude and mentality.

“I’m not nearly as good as I can be,’’ he said. “I wasn’t nearly as good as I should have been. That’s all going to change. We’re not going to have one real standout. We’re all going to be dominant on the field.’’

His goal is to be better than he was last season.

“I’m just going to play as hard as I can and try to be better than I was,’’ McCoy said. “We’re going to be ready for everything that comes at us. Whatever the offense has for us, we’ll be ready.’’

McCoy’s summer was spent working out under the watchful eye of strength coach Jerry Schmidt

“I had a good summer,’’ he said. “I put on some weight and got faster and stronger. I know a lot more about the game.’’