Willie McGinest

Willie McGinest was the fourth overall selection in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft out of Southern California. He played 12 of his 15 NFL seasons with the Patriots and was one of the cornerstones of the team’s success during Super Bowl championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004. He ranks third in team history with 78 sacks and led the team in sacks six times, including a career high 11 in 1995. McGinest’s 16 postseason sacks is an NFL record and he set the NFL mark for most sacks in a postseason game with 4 1/2 in a 2005 Wild Card win vs. Jacksonville. One of his most memorable plays came in a 2003 regular-season game when he stuffed Indianapolis running back Edgerrin James on the goal line with 11 seconds remaining to preserve a 38-34 win. He was a versatile player, who played defensive end and linebacker and earned Pro Bowl honors in 1996 and 2003. He helped the Patriots post nine winning seasons in 12 years, and led the team to six division titles, four conference championships and three Super Bowl championships during his career.