He’s in teal! Grayson McCall returns to Conway for Coastal Carolina’s matchup with App State

Grayson McCall returned to Conway, S.C., for the first time. With the trademark mullet he had worn during five seasons as a Chanticleer, McCall donned a tie-dye teal shirt for the first time since 2023.

McCall met with Chance Miller, the new CCU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation. McCall also commiserated with second-year head coach Tim Beck, sharing a hug.

During the game, CCU announced McCall to the crowd, and he received a loud ovation from the 19,415 in attendance. Coastal Carolina Head Coach Tim Beck said after the game that he and McCall had stayed in touch during this season.

“We talk all the time, and we have all season just always wishing luck and (making) sure he’s doing okay,” he said.

Beck added that he had asked McCall to return to show support for his alma mater, although he wasn’t sure exactly when the two agreed to the plan before the game.

“I know what this game means to him and how much he still loves Coastal,” Beck said. “I was like, ‘Dude, you’ve got to come back.’ I was really happy that he came.”

McCall hadn’t appeared with Coastal since the 2023 Hawai’i Bowl, although he did not play in that game as he was still dealing with the effects of a concussion that ended his season. McCall ultimately retired from college football after transferring to NC State and sustaining another concussion.

McCall’s performance at CCU helped put the Conway-based program on the map, and he and his mullet became the symbol of what Coastal represented. Between the 2020-22 seasons, McCall led the Chants to more than 30 wins and its first bowl game win since joining the FBS level of college football.