 He also attended the Battle Ground Military Academy for one year after graduating from high school.In 1952, McCord enrolled at the University of Tennessee where he played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers football team under head coaches Robert Neyland in 1952 and Harvey Robinson from 1953 to 1954.He was a member of the 1952 Tennessee team that was ranked #8 in the final AP Poll and played in the 1953 Cotton Bowl Classic.