Three-time Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest is remembered as one of the NFL’s fiercest players. Many know the 12-year New England Patriots and 3-year Cleveland Browns linebacker for his amazing stats and for holding the NFL records for the Most postseason sacks in a game (4 ½) and most postseason sacks, career (16). However Willie McGinest is also celebrated for being an inspirational force who has made significant contributions in the fields of media production and inner-city rehabilitation.
A Southern California native, McGinest exudes a strong pride in serving his community. Being involved with the community is “something that I need to do because of how blessed I was and where I came from.”
“What I’ve been blessed with enables me to always give back”, he says. McGinest currently funds the Long Beach Browns, a Southern Californian Pop Warner football team. He is also the founder of the Willie McGinest Freedom School, a non– profit foundation which focuses on giving youth and young adults the necessary skills to succeed in life.
“We teach [everything] from learning how to fill out an application, to helping young adults rebound after [experiencing] a hard time in life,” he explains. Willie is also currently involved in a development deal to beautify and uplift impoverished areas of Long Beach, California. He recently entered a franchise agreement with three Wing Stop restaurants, which are located in Southern California.
With his devout commitment to uplift the youth and challenged areas of Los Angeles, it’s no surprise that McGinest is a supporter of the 1st annual Astroturf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which will be held in Los Angeles, California on January 21, 2012. McGinest believes that the game “is a platform for young athletes that don’t have the opportunity to [be] looked at by scouts [due to the fact that] they are not at a big university or in the spotlight.”
He sees the game as an excellent way to introduce young athletes to both the athletic and business aspects of the NFL. McGinest also asserts that Los Angeles produces a significant amount of athletically gifted youth and believes that the game will also serve as an inspiration to aspiring athletes in the area.
In addition to his philanthropic endeavors, McGinest has also made his mark in the entertainment industry. He is the CEO of the entertainment agency 55 Entertainment. The company currently has a production contract with A&M/ Interscope Records and focuses on charity work, event planning, and music production. McGinest has also graced television sets as a sports commentator, host, and actor. According to McGinest, transitioning from football to the entertainment world was a natural process:
“[Playing in the NFL] is the biggest motion picture [you] could think of — playing in front of a bunch of people [and] dealing with all of the major brands [has helped connect me] to the business side of things… You can’t play football forever, [an average NFLer’s] football life is three-and-a-half – years, so you have to have other things in line…and see being in the NFL as a stepping–stone to move forward in life.”
