"I played behind guys that had breakout years this year. Myron Pryor is going to go to the league (NFL) now and hopefully next year I can step up and do the same thing he did."
Pryor and junior Corey Peters were Kentucky's starting tackles and sophomore Ricky Lumpkin was the primary backup. McCord knows those three all played far better than he did on a daily basis.
"The guys in front of me played well this year. We had a good defense. I can't complain because the guys in front of me just played better than I did," he said. "I hope I will play more next year.
"It hasn't been that hard this year really not getting to play more than I did. I am the type of guy that just sits back and watches and learns as much as I can, so when time for me to get out there comes I can step and fill some shoes. I feel like I have become a lot better player this year. I just haven't had a chance to really show it yet."
McCord says defensive line coach Rick Petri has encouraged him to become a more physical player.
"He wants me being more physical at the point of attack. He has told me to be more physical, and then I will play more," McCord, who picked UK over Clemson out of high school, said.
McCord did not redshirt his first season in 2007 and Petri says inconsistency hurt him as much as anything this year.
"Shane has been up and down. He has played some in games and done well at times. At other times, he hasn't played well," Petri said. "He has to get a little tougher at the point of attack. He understands what he has to do to improve. He comes out here and goes to work every day, so that's a big plus as we try to get him ready for a much bigger role next year."
McCord says the lessons he learned from Pryor, Peters and Lumpkin will make him better.
"We hang out a lot with each other and I see what they do to get prepared for games. They have told me what I need to do and how to do it," McCord said. "My first two years have not gone the way I quite wanted, but that doesn't mean the next two years have to be the same. I'm confident the next two years are going to be great ones for me here."
