Willie McGinest elected to Patriots Hall of Fame
The Patriots announced on Tuesday that Willie McGinest has been selected by fans as the 24th enshrinee into the team’s Hall of Fame.
McGinest, the Patriots’ first-round draft pick in 1994 (fourth overall), played 12 of his 15 NFL seasons in New England, won three Super Bowls, and ranks third in franchise history in sacks with 78 and first in postseason sacks with 16.
“Just a few months after I bought the Patriots, we drafted Willie McGinest in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft,’’ Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “We came into the NFL together and will always share a special bond. During his 12-year Patriots career, Willie played a critical role in transforming us from a cellar dweller into a championship-caliber team. He was a leader of a defensive unit that propelled the Patriots to our first Super Bowl Championship in 2001. His leadership during the season and dominance in the postseason proved principal to our success in winning back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004.’’
The retired linebacker will enter the Patriots’ Hall with senior selection committee inductee Houston Antwine at a ceremony this summer that will be open to the public. He will also be honored at halftime of a Patriots home game to be determined during the 2015 season.
One of the key foundation pieces in the early years of the Patriots dynasty, McGinest made two Pro Bowls and was selected to two Patriots all-decade teams. He recorded 582 tackles, made five interceptions, forced 16 fumbles and recovered 15. McGinest spent the final three seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns and now works as an analyst on NFL Network.
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