 McGinest at the 2008 ESPN the Weekend event at Disney's Hollywood Studios | |||||||||||
| No. 55 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1971-12-11)December 11, 1971 (age 53) Long Beach, California, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 270 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Long Beach Polytechnic | ||||||||||
| College | USC (1990–1993) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1994: 1st round, 4th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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William Lee McGinest Jr. (born December 11, 1971) is an American former professionalfootballlinebacker who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with theNew England Patriots. He playedcollege football for theUSC Trojans, twice receiving first-teamAll-Pac-10 honors, and was selected fourth overall by the Patriots in the1994 NFL draft. During his 12 seasons with the team, he was named to twoPro Bowls and won threeSuper Bowl titles. McGinest also holds the postseason record for sacks. For his accomplishments in New England, he was inducted to thePatriots Hall of Fame in 2015.
The second of four children, McGinest attendedLong Beach Polytechnic High School,[1][2] where he garnered all-state honors in football and basketball. In football, he earned All-American recognition fromSuper Prep,Blue Chip, andTom 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 defended, including an interception, and blocked four kicks as a senior. In 2009, McGinest was elected to Poly's Football Hall of Fame.[3] On the court, he earnedLong 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.
From 1990 to 1993, McGinest played football at theUniversity of Southern California. He worenumber 55. McGinest earned all-conference honors three straight years and All-American acclaim. During his senior year, he was aLombardi Award finalist, and earned All-American and All-Pac-10 conference honors. He started every game at weak-side 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 inpublic administration from USC in 1994.[4]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | 34+3⁄8 in (0.87 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 4.68 s | 1.59 s | 2.74 s | 4.19 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) | 22 reps | ||
| All values fromNFL Combine[5] | ||||||||||||
McGinest was selected by theNew England Patriots in the first round (fourth overall) of the1994 NFL draft.[6] He was one of the cornerstones for New England's success in winning theSuper Bowl in2001,2003, and2004. He was named to thePro Bowl twice, in 1996 and 2003. InSuper Bowl XXXIX, McGinest was used in a different manner from his regular role. While he usually lined up as an outside linebacker in a3-4 scheme, the Patriots moved him to the defensive line as adefensive end in an effort to keepPhiladelphia quarterbackDonovan McNabb from scrambling.[7]
In a 2005 wild card playoff win over theJacksonville Jaguars, McGinest eclipsed two NFL postseason records—most sacks in a game (4.5) and most career postseason sacks (16), surpassingBruce Smith. His 78 career sacks rank third all time for the Patriots.
The Patriots released McGinest on March 9, 2006.[7]
On March 15, 2006, McGinest signed with theCleveland Browns, reuniting with head coachRomeo 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. He 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, he stated that he would like to end his career with the Patriots. On August 5, 2015, he signed a one-day contract with the Patriots during his Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony.[8][9]
He has the most fumble return touchdowns (2) (tied with five others).[10]
| Year | Team | GP | Tackles | Fumbles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | |||
| 1994 | NE | 16 | 43 | 29 | 14 | 4.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1995 | NE | 16 | 86 | 69 | 17 | 11.0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1996 | NE | 16 | 67 | 49 | 18 | 9.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1997 | NE | 11 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1998 | NE | 9 | 29 | 20 | 9 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | NE | 16 | 74 | 48 | 26 | 9.0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2000 | NE | 14 | 63 | 45 | 18 | 6.0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2001 | NE | 11 | 33 | 25 | 8 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | NE | 16 | 62 | 42 | 20 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | NE | 14 | 67 | 46 | 21 | 5.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 | NE | 16 | 51 | 36 | 15 | 9.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 2005 | NE | 16 | 56 | 45 | 11 | 6.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | CLE | 14 | 46 | 37 | 9 | 4.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 | CLE | 13 | 30 | 19 | 11 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2008 | CLE | 14 | 56 | 43 | 13 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career[11] | 212 | 798 | 578 | 220 | 86.0 | 16 | 17 | |
Following retirement, McGinest joined theNFL Network as a football analyst, and appears on various programs, includingNFL Total Access. Prior to joining the NFL Network, McGinest served similar roles atFox Sports andESPN. McGinest was suspended from the NFL Network after his 2022 arrest, stemming from an incident in a Los Angeles nightclub.
McGinest was featured on the NFL Network's documentary seriesA Football Life on October 5, 2018.[12]
McGinest and teammates Michael Jones and Jason Oliver were charged with battery and false imprisonment when a female USC student accused them of sexual assault on October 15, 1990.[13] The incident in question occurred on June 20 of the same year. The 23-year-old summer-school counselor said she was dragged into a dormitory room, pinned to a bed, and sexually molested. The players contend the woman entered the room voluntarily and was involved in "horseplay".[14] On June 15, 1991, the three players, including McGinest, were acquitted of all sexual assault and false imprisonment charges.[15]
On September 30, 2016, DeAndre Parks filed a Personal Injury Lawsuit against McGinest.[16] The lawsuit claims that McGinest assaulted Parks and threatened him on multiple occasions.[17] His representative denied the charges and the suit was settled in 2020[18].
On December 9, 2022, at the Delilah nightclub inWest Hollywood, McGinest and several of his acquaintances physically assaulted a man who was sitting at a table at the lounge. McGinest can be seen in the video beating the victim and striking the man repeatedly in the head with a glass bottle while the victim was on the floor. McGinest was arrested over the incident and charged with felony assault.[19][20]
McGinest established the Willie McGinest Freedom School, a program that 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 his teammates and him. He went on to sponsor a similar event in the Cleveland area with Browns teammates.
McGinest owns an entertainment company inLos Angeles called 55 Entertainment.
McGinest also appeared onS.W.A.T. in the season-two episode "The B-Team", playingLos Angeles Fire Department firefighter Ryan Cook when the LAFD goes against theLos Angeles Police Department in a charity competition.[21][22]
He has had cameo appearances in television shows such asArli$$[23] andThe Game, and had a small role as a detective in the filmI Tried, withrap groupBone Thugs-n-Harmony. He appeared in theDisney XD showLab Rats[24] &Scorpion[25] as himself.