College: Southern California Children Riley Nicole Spouse Gloriana Clark | Weight: 270 lb (122 kg) Height 1.96 m Name Willie McGinest Movies I Tried | |
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Date of birth: (1971-12-11) December 11, 1971 (age 44) Parents Joyce McGinest, Willie McGinest Similar People Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel Profiles | ||
High school: Long Beach (CA) Poly | ||
Super bowl champ willie mcginest talks football and more
William Lee McGinest, Jr. (born December 11, 1971) is a former American football linebacker who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New England Patriots fourth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC.
Contents
- Super bowl champ willie mcginest talks football and more
- Bill Belichick Steps into the Announcers Booth at the NFL Scouting Combine NFL Network
- Early life and career
- College career
- New England Patriots
- Cleveland Browns
- NFL records
- Patriots franchise records
- NFL Network
- Charity work
- Business and Entertainment Ventures
- References
McGinest also played for the Cleveland Browns.
Bill Belichick Steps into the Announcers Booth at the NFL Scouting Combine | NFL Network
Early life and career
The second of four children, McGinest attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he garnered all-state honors in football and basketball. In football, he earned All-American recognition from Super Prep, Blue Chip and Tom Lemming magazines and was selected to several all-star teams, earning all-city, all-state, and all-region honors as a linebacker in 1989. He totaled 107 tackles, including 18 sacks, two fumble recoveries, four passes defensed, including an interception, and blocked four kicks as a senior. In 2009, McGinest was elected to Poly's Football Hall of Fame. [2] On the court, he earned Long Beach Press-Telegram "Best in the West," All-CIF Southern Section and all-league honors while averaging 14 points per game during the 1989-90 season.
College career
From 1990 to 1993, McGinest played football at the University of Southern California. He wore number 55. McGinest earned all-conference honors three straight years and All-American acclaim. During his senior year, he was a Lombardi Award finalist, and earned All-American and All-Pac-10 conference honors. He started every game at weakside defensive end for the Trojans. McGinest finished his collegiate career with 193 tackles (134 solos), 29 sacks (171 yards), 48 tackles for loss (238 yards), and 26 passes batted away. McGinest received a degree in public administration from USC in 1994.
New England Patriots
McGinest was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft. He was one of the cornerstones for New England's success in winning the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003, and 2004. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice, in 1996 and 2003. In Super Bowl XXXIX, McGinest was used in a different manner than his regular role. While he usually lined up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, the Patriots moved him to the defensive line as a defensive end in an effort to keep Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb from scrambling.
In a 2005 wild card playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, McGinest eclipsed two NFL postseason records—most sacks in a game (4.5) and most career postseason sacks (16), surpassing Bruce Smith. His 78 career sacks rank third all time for the Patriots.
The Patriots released McGinest on March 9, 2006.
Cleveland Browns
On March 15, 2006, McGinest signed with the Cleveland Browns, reuniting with head coach Romeo Crennel, who was the Patriots' defensive coordinator during McGinest's stint in New England. McGinest signed a three-year deal worth $12 million with $6 million in guarantees and bonuses. McGinest stated in an interview prior to the 2008 season that he would be playing his final year of professional football before retiring in the offseason. In July 2009, McGinest stated that he would like to end his career with the Patriots. On August 5th, 2015, McGinest signed a 1 day contract with the Patriots during his hall of fame induction ceremony. [3]
NFL records
Patriots franchise records
Key
NFL Network
Following retirement, McGinest joined the NFL Network as a football analyst, and appears on various programs, including NFL Total Access. Prior to joining the NFL Network, McGinest served similar roles at Fox Sports and ESPN.
Charity work
McGinest established the Willie McGinest Freedom School, a program which aims to provide social and cultural enrichment for neighborhood youth. On May 3, 2005, the city council of Long Beach declared that every year, May 3 will be recognized as Willie McGinest Day in recognition of his charitable efforts and civic involvement. During the 2004 holiday season, McGinest sponsored "Shop with a Jock," an event that gave 50 Boston-area children the opportunity to go on a $100 shopping spree with him and his teammates. He would go on to sponsor a similar event in the Cleveland area with Browns teammates.
Business and Entertainment Ventures
McGinest owns an entertainment company in Los Angeles called "55 Entertainment", and has had cameo appearances in television shows such as Arli$$ and The Game, and had a small role as a detective in the film I Tried, with rap group Bone Thugs N' Harmony.
He appeared in the Disney XD show Lab Rats as himself