Willie McGinest

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William Lee McGinest, Jr, (born December 11, 1971 in Long Beach, California), is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns.

[edit] Early life and career

The second of three children, McGinest attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he garnered all-state honors in football and basketball. On the gridiron, he earned All-American recognition from Super Prep, Blue Chip and Tom Lemming magazines and was selected to countless 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. On the courts, 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.

Some of McGinest's classmates at Poly included rappers Snoop Dogg and Warren G., singer Nate Dogg, actress Cameron Diaz, and GC Pro's Paul Henry.

[edit] College career

From 1990 to 1993, McGinest played football at the University of Southern California. He wore number 55 and carried on the legacy of the jersey established by his predecessor, All-American linebacker Junior Seau. McGinest earned all-conference honors three straight years and earned All-American acclaim. During his senior year (1993), 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.

[edit] NFL career

[edit] New England Patriots

McGinest was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1994 NFL draft. He had been one of the cornerstones for New England's success in winning the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003, and 2004. He was nominated to the Pro Bowl twice--in 1996 and 2003.

Another important moment in his career was on Nov. 30, 2003. After leaving the game with an injury, he came back to make the saving tackle, spinting to mid-field, that allowed the Patriots to improve to 10-2 while knocking the Indianapolis Colts to 9-3. This sprinting, after having supposedly suffered a knee injury, led many to believe that the injury had been faked to allow the exhausted Patriots an extra time out, since the Colts were driving quickly for what would have been the winning score.

In Super Bowl XXXIX, McGinest was used in a different manner than his regular role. While he usually lines 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 the 2005 wild-card game (which the Pats won 28-3) against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he set an NFL postseason record by recording 4.5 sacks in one game as well as breaking Bruce Smith's record for the most all-time sacks in the postseason with 16 currently. His 78 career sacks rank third all time for the Patriots. The Patriots released the veteran linebacker on March 9, 2006. Although the Patriots weren't struggling to get under the $102 million cap, McGinest carried a cap figure of more than $7 million, which ultimately led to the Patriots' decision to cut him.

[edit] Cleveland Browns

On March 15, 2006, he signed with the Cleveland Browns, whose head coach, Romeo Crennel, was the Patriots' defensive coordinator. McGinest signed a three-year deal worth $12 million with $6 million in guarantees and bonuses.

McGinest announced that he'll retire after the 2008 NFL season. This will be his last season in the three year contract he signed in 2006. ^[1]

[edit] Charity work

When it comes to donating time and money to charitable organizations, McGinest has a solid reputation as being one of the most generous givers in all of sports. He remains dedicated to his native Long Beach, where he 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 longstanding 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 has since sponsored a similar event in the Cleveland area with Browns teammates. [1]

[edit] Business ventures

McGinest owns an entertainment company in Los Angeles called "55 Entertainment." McGinest and Snoop Dogg are also founders and co-owners of Icon Sports + Entertainment, a company geared toward helping athletes realize their potential in the entertainment industry.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Cleveland Browns team bio
• Current Stats
• Willie McGinest at the Internet Movie Database