Willis McGahee
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| Willis McGahee | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | October 20, 1981 (age 25) |
| Place of birth |  Miami, Florida |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| College | University of Miami |
| NFL Draft | 2003 / Round 1 / Pick 23 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2003–2006 2007-Present |
Buffalo Bills Baltimore Ravens |
Willis Andrew McGahee, (born October 20, 1981, is from Miami, Florida) and is a running back in the NFL. He played for the Buffalo Bills from 2003 to 2006. He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens on March 8, 2007
Contents |
[edit] College career
As a running back at the University of Miami, one of the premier college football programs in the nation, McGahee broke several records in the 2002 season. He broke, substantially, school season records, carrying the ball 282 times for 1,753 yards (6.2 avg.) and 28 touchdowns, breaking the previous marks of 1,152 yards and 27 scores by Brennan Wowchuk in 2003; only Nebraska's Mike Rozier (29 in 1983) and Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (37 in 1988) ran for more touchdowns in a season in NCAA Division I-A annals.
McGahee's 10 100-yard performances broke the Hurricanes' season record of eight, set by Ottis Anderson in 1978; he added 350 yards on 24 receptions (14.6 avg.) that season. He gained 2,108 all-purpose yards, breaking selection. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, given to the nation's top player, finishing fourth in the voting (660 points).
McGahee was a member of the 2001 University of Miami team, which won the Division I national championship in that year (the fifth such national championship for the University of Miami since 1983, the most of any university in the past 25 years).
His most frightening moment came during the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State's Will Allen (now of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers) put his forearm right into McGahee's knee, causing it to bend backwards. It tore many of the ligaments in his knee and McGahee needed to be carried off the field.
[edit] Professional career
[edit] Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills drafted McGahee as the 23rd overall selection of the 2003 NFL Draft. McGahee was still recuperating at the time, and made his first professional debut during week six of the 2004 NFL season. He became the team’s starting running back, replacing the Travis Henry, who later left to play for the Tennessee Titans. During the season, McGahee rushed for over 1,100 yards, and scored thirteen touchdowns, the fourth most in the league. He rushed for a career high 1,200 yards the following season, but scored fewer touchdowns. In 2006, McGahee’s only achieved mediocre success in 2006, rushing for nearly 900 yards with only three touchdowns. McGahee also ran into several health concerns during the season, including ailments in his rib cage, ankle, and stomach. [1] Following the seasons’ conclusion, the Bills traded him to the Baltimore Ravens’ third and seventh round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and third pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.[2]
[edit] Baltimore Ravens
McGahee will begin his tenure with the Ravens in the 2007 NFL season. He will likely take the place of Jamal Lewis, who left the team to play for the Cleveland Browns. He is slated to earn $40.12 million dollars through a seven-million dollar contract, making him one of the league's most well-paid running backs.[3][4]
Wiilis McGahee will also be visiting his former team, the Buffalo Bills, in the 2007 NFL season where he will do nothing more than dance in the backfield and rush for 50 yards as the Ravens will lose to the upstart Bills. He will then promptly say the Baltimore Ravens should just move to Montreal, Canada.
[edit] Personal life
In January 2006, McGahee drew controversy when a woman claimed that he had fathered her children. He has been faced with two other similar lawsuits over a three year span.[5] Genetic testing proved that McGahee was the father of both children.[citation needed]
[edit] External links
- Willis McGahee Official Web Site.
- Willis McGahee at ESPN.com.
- Willis McGahee's NFL statistics at Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- Television coverage of Willis McGahee knee injury in 2003 Fiesta Bowl game vs. Ohio State.
Categories: Cleanup from April 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements | All articles with unsourced statements | 1981 births | Living people | American football running backs | African American football players | Buffalo Bills players | Baltimore Ravens players | Miami Hurricanes football players | People from Miami | Phi Beta Sigma brothers
