Willis Andrew McGahee III (born October 21, 1981) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, where he was recognized as a consensus
All-American, and was drafted by the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in the first round of the
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
. In addition to his time with the Bills, McGahee played for the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
,
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, and
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
.
In 2015, McGahee signed on as an athlete for the Miami Surge of the
National Pro Grid League
The National Pro Grid League (NPGL) was a professional athletics organization consisting of mixed-gender teams that operated from 2014 through 2016. No NPGL events have occurred since the final matches in 2016. The teams compete in timed events in ...
.
Early years
McGahee was born in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. He attended
Miami Central High School
Miami Central Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1781 NW 95th Street in West Little River, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.0.1%
80.7% of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Miami Central has a large Hait ...
for one year after transferring from
Miami Springs High School
Miami Springs Senior High School is a secondary school located at 751 Dove Avenue in Miami Springs, Florida, United States; its principal is Alfred Torossian (2020–Present). The school is part of Miami-Dade County Public School's nationally acc ...
, where he previously attended for three years.
College career
McGahee received an athletic scholarship to attend the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
, where he played for coach
Butch Davis
Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis Jr. (born November 17, 1951) is an American football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at Florida International University. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, he became an assistant col ...
and coach
Larry Coker
Larry Edward Coker (born June 23, 1948) is a former American football coach and player. He previously served as the head coach of the University of Miami and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
Coker's 2001 Miami Hurricanes football ...
's
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football team represents the University of Miami in college football. The Hurricanes compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Coastal Division of the Atlanti ...
teams from 2000 to 2002. McGahee broke several records in the 2002 season. He shattered school season records, carrying the ball 282 times for 1,753 yards, for a 6.2 average, and 28
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
s. Only
UCF
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...
's
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...
(29 in 2007),
Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-cam ...
's
Devin Singletary
Devin Singletary (born September 3, 1997), nicknamed "Motor", is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida Atlantic Owls football, Florida Atlantic. As a ...
(32 in 2017),
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
's
Mike Rozier
Michael T. Rozier (born March 1, 1961) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the United States Football League (USFL) for two seasons and the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons duri ...
(29 in 1983),
Colorado State
Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...
's
Kapri Bibbs (31 in 2013),
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
's
Montee Ball
Montee Ball Jr. (born December 5, 1990) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin, where he was twice recognized as the be ...
(33 in 2011), and
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...
's
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), from 1989 to 1998 for the Detroit Lions. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and ...
(37 in 1988) ran for more touchdowns in an
NCAA Division I-A
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
season.
McGahee's ten 100-yard performances broke the
Hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
' season record of eight, set by
Ottis Anderson
Ottis Jerome Anderson (born January 19, 1957) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants. He played college football at Miami, wh ...
in
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
; he added 355 yards on 25
receptions, for a 14.2 average, that season. He gained 2,108
all-purpose yards
All-purpose yards or all-purpose yardage is a gridiron football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing t ...
during 2002, which remains a Hurricanes' season record.
McGahee was a member of the
2001 University of Miami team, which won the National Championship over
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
in the
2002 Rose Bowl
The 2002 Rose Bowl, played on January 3, 2002, was a college football bowl game. It was the 88th Rose Bowl game and was the BCS National Championship Game of the 2001 college football season. The game featured the Miami Hurricanes and the Nebra ...
that year.
In 2002, McGahee, along with
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon Dorsey (born April 22, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, ...
,
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...
,
Kellen Winslow II
Kellen Boswell Winslow II (born July 21, 1983) is an American former professional football player and a convicted sex offender. He was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) and played college football at the University of Miami, wh ...
, and others helped lead Miami to an undefeated regular season and a #1 ranking, which included a trip to the National Championship game against second ranked
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. Following his 2002 sophomore season, he was a first-team All-Big east selection and was recognized as a consensus first-team
All-American. He was also a finalist for the
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
, given to the nation's top player, finishing fourth in the voting (660 votes), while teammate Ken Dorsey finished fifth with 643 votes.
In the early part of the fourth quarter during the
2003 Fiesta Bowl
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game that was the designated Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season, taking place on January 3, 2003 at Sun Devil Sta ...
National Championship Game, McGahee suffered an injury after catching a
screen pass
A screen pass is a play in gridiron football consisting of a short pass to a receiver who is protected by a screen of blockers. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is b ...
from Dorsey. He was immediately hit by Buckeye
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
Will Allen, turning his left
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
into a
swivel joint
A swivel is a connection that allows the connected object, such as a gun, chair, swivel caster, or an anchor rode to rotate horizontally or vertically.
Swivel designs
A common design for a swivel is a cylindrical rod that can turn freely wit ...
and causing tears of the
ACL,
PCL, and
MCL
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...
. Prior to getting hurt, he had rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown, as Miami would lose the game in double-
overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...
, 31–24. This injury required several surgeries and extensive rehabilitation before he would be able to play again. At the season's end, McGahee announced he would not collect on a $2.5 million insurance policy he had taken out before the Championship game, and therefore would enter the
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
.
At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he had rushed for 2,067 yards and 31 touchdowns. He majored in
criminology
Criminology (from Latin , "accusation", and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'' meaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and so ...
while at the University of Miami.
College statistics
Professional career
Buffalo Bills
Prior to his knee injury in the
2003 Fiesta Bowl
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game that was the designated Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season, taking place on January 3, 2003 at Sun Devil Sta ...
, McGahee was considered "a cinch top-five pick." Afterwards, McGahee was projected a late third round pick due to risk of "a long rehabilitation process". Eventually, he was selected in the first round with the 23rd overall pick in the
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
by the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. The Bills originally acquired the pick in a trade that sent
Peerless Price
Peerless LeCross Price (born October 27, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Price played college football for the University of Tennessee Volunteers and was drafte ...
to the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
.
2003 season
Due to the length of the rehabilitation for his knee, he missed the entire 2003 season.
2004 season
McGahee made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2004 season against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
and had nine carries for 31 rushing yards in the 13–10 loss. In Week 6, McGahee assumed the starting role and had 26 carries for 111 rushing yards in the 20–13 victory over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. In Week 8, he scored his first two professional touchdowns in a 38–14 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. In the following game, a 22–17 victory over the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, he had season-highs with 37 carries for 132 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 22–17 victory. In Week 12, a 38–9 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, he had 28 carries for 116 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. The close out the 2004 season, McGahee had two games going over the 100-yard rushing mark while scoring two rushing touchdowns in both of the games. He finished the 2004 season with 284 carries for 1,128 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 22 receptions for 169 receiving yards. He was named by the PFWA as Comeback Player of the Year for the 2004 season.
2005 season
McGahee started the 2005 season strong with 22 carries for 117 rushing yards in the 22–7 victory over the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. In Week 3 against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, he had 27 carries for 140 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 24–16 loss. In Week 6, against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, he had 29 carries for 143 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 27–17 victory. In Week 8, against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, he had 31 carries for 136 rushing yards in the 21–16 loss. McGahee closed out the 2005 regular season with 22 carries for 113 rushing yards in a 30–26 loss to the Jets in Week 17. In the 2005 season, McGahee finished with 325 carries for 1,247 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 28 receptions for 178 receiving yards.
2006 season
In Week 3, McGahee had 26 carries for 150 rushing yards in the 28–20 loss to the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. In Week 12, against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, he had two rushing touchdowns in the 27–24 victory. In Week 14 against the Jets, he had 16 carries for 125 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 31–13 victory. He finished the 2006 season with 259 carries for 990 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns to go along with 18 receptions for 156 receiving yards.
Following the 2006 season, after McGahee had made disparaging remarks about the city of Buffalo—including an implication that the Bills should move to
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
—the Bills traded him to the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. The Bills received
third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
and
seventh round
Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven.
Seventh may refer to:
* Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution
* A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts
Film and television
*"The Seventh", a second-season epi ...
picks in the
2007 NFL Draft and a
third round pick in the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
.
Baltimore Ravens
2007 season
McGahee was traded to the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
before the 2007 season. He replaced
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis (born August 26, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Tennessee and was s ...
, who left the team to play for the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. He was slated to earn $40.12 million through a seven-year contract, making him one of the league's highest paid running backs. In his first season with Baltimore, he had 294 carries for 1,207 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. McGahee made his first Pro Bowl in 2007, on the strength of five 100+ yard games, and a streak of seven straight games with a rushing touchdown. In addition, he recorded his first career receiving touchdown, along with a career-high 231 receiving yards on 43 receptions. Due to a cracked rib injury suffered against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
late in the season, he came up just short of having his best career rushing season, as he had been on pace to do so at the time with his best yards-per-carry average and his best career yards-per-game average.
2008 season
McGahee was slated to be the starting running back under new head coach
John Harbaugh
John William Harbaugh (born September 23, 1962) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he coached the defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles and served ...
in 2008, but various injuries through the season, including eye, shoulder, knee and ankle injuries, kept him from achieving his fourth 1,000-yard season in the NFL.
Fullback LeRon McClain wound up taking a majority of the snaps that season, as both McGahee and rookie
Ray Rice
Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Rutgers, where he received first-t ...
suffered injuries during the season. Despite his injuries, McGahee still rushed for 671 yards and seven touchdowns, including a career-long 77-yard touchdown run against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. He was instrumental in what Baltimore dubbed their "Three-Headed-Monster" rushing attack and still played a key role in the team's 11–5 record and playoff berth.
McGahee's first career post-season play came in 2008, and he did not disappoint. With minor injuries to McClain and Rice, the Ravens relied on McGahee to carry their rushing attack in the playoffs, where he was vital in a 27–9 victory over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
in the
Wild Card Round, and in a close 13–10 victory over the top rated
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
in the
Divisional Round. During the
2008 AFC Championship, Willis was the Ravens' primary offensive weapon, scoring two touchdowns against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
to keep the game close. However, following a hard hit by
Ryan Clark, he was taken off the field on a stretcher to be evaluated by team physicians. He would later be diagnosed with no serious injury.
2009 season
McGahee spent the 2009 offseason more seriously dedicated to rehabbing and coming back better than ever. Despite McGahee's extra training, the Ravens decided to go with second-year player
Ray Rice
Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Rutgers, where he received first-t ...
as their starter. McClain's carries were drastically reduced, as he took on his traditional run blocking FB role, but McGahee's carries were also severely limited during several games, as the team either tried to have a pass-heavy attack, or relied almost entirely on Rice. Despite this, Willis remained fresh and injury free the entire season, and would actually become the teams' leading scorer, with 14 touchdowns (12 rushing, 2 receiving). In Week 2 against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
, he scored two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns in one game, another career record, in the 31–26 victory. In the following game, a 34–3 victory over the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, he had two more rushing touchdowns. In Week 14, a 48–3 victory over the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, he had a third game with two rushing touchdowns. His 14 regular season touchdowns saw him tied for second most touchdowns in the league in 2009. McGahee ended the season with his best career game, racking up 167 rushing yards on 16 carries and three rushing touchdowns in a 21–13 victory over the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against Oakland. He recorded 20 carries for 62 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a
Wild Card Round 33–14 blowout of the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
.
2010 season
During the 2010 offseason, McGahee opted to remain with the Baltimore Ravens, instead of going to another team as a possible starter. He appeared in 15 games and recorded 100 carries for 380 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 14 receptions for 55 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. In the
Wild Card Round against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, McGahee scored a 25-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that sealed the win for Baltimore. The Ravens won by a score of 30–7.
The Ravens released McGahee on July 28, 2011, to allow the team to free up salary cap space. In his four seasons as a Baltimore Raven, he accrued over 3,300 total yards from scrimmage, as well as 35 total regular season touchdowns, including 31 rushing touchdowns.
Denver Broncos
2011 season
On July 30, 2011, McGahee signed a four-year deal with the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
worth $9.5 million, $3 million being guaranteed. Following an injury in Week 1 to
Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon Rockwell Moreno (born July 16, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Georgia and was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He also pl ...
, McGahee became the primary running back for the Broncos and in Week 2 versus the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, he rushed for 101 yards on 28 carries and one rushing touchdown in the 24–22 victory. In a Week 3 loss to the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, McGahee ran for 52 yards on 22 carries and had a 5-yard reception for a touchdown. During a Week 4 loss to the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, McGahee rushed 15 times for 103 yards in the 49–23 loss In a Week 5 loss to the
Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
, McGahee rushed for 125 yards on 16 carries. In the Week 7 win against the
Dolphins
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (t ...
, in the early second half McGahee already racked up 76 yards with an average of 4.2 yards per carry. It looked as if McGahee was on pace for his third-straight 100 yard game, and fourth of the season. However, McGahee fractured his hand early in the second half as well. In that game, McGahee could have moved up from 10th in the NFL in rushing to 8th. McGahee was unable to play the following week against the
Lions
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...
due to his injury. The Broncos lost 45–10. However, the following week against the
Raiders, McGahee came back with a strong performance. He put up 163 rushing yards, which included a 60-yard touchdown and 24-yard touchdown in the 38–24 victory. In a Week 10 game against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, McGahee ran up one of his blockers legs, and suffered a left hamstring injury. He was taken to the locker room and listed as questionable to return. Head coach
John Fox stated in a post-game press conference that McGahee was fine and could've returned in an emergency situation. Fox said McGahee would most likely be able to play in the next game.
On November 23, 2011, McGahee was named a team captain after the release of captain and backup quarterback
Kyle Orton
Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Dr ...
. Coach Fox attributed this to the fact that McGahee "had the next most votes when we took the vote
or team captainback before the season started." In the Week 12 versus the Chargers, he rushed for 117 yards on 23 carries. The 117 yards included two 20-plus yard runs. One of which was a 24-yard run in overtime which set up the Broncos inside of the 20-yard line. This critical run set up the game-winning field goal for Denver. In a Week 13 win against the
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
, he picked up 111 yards on the ground, which included a 24-yard touchdown run.
In Week 15 against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, McGahee rushed for 70 yards averaging 10 yards per carry but was unfortunately pulled out of the game due to a hamstring injury. With only 10 yards to go to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, Willis was able to accomplish that feat on a 24-yard run against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in week 16. He ended the game with only 64 yards rushing and 15 carries. The next week against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, McGahee rushed for 145 yards on 28 carries in the 7–3 loss. On January 17, 2012, McGahee was added to the 2012
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
Roster to replace
Arian Foster
Arian Isa Foster (born August 24, 1986) is a former American football running back and current musical artist under the name Bobby Feeno. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was signed by the Houston Texans of the Nati ...
. He was ranked 98th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2012
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 was the second season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers being ranked #1, while Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football ...
.
2012 season
For the 2012 season, McGahee started as the number one running back on the Broncos depth chart. McGahee played well, averaging 4.4 yards per carry through his first ten starts. In Week 2, against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, he had 22 carries for 113 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 27–21 loss. He had two other games with one rushing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown, in Weeks 4 and 8. McGahee suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11 in a game against the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
on November 18, 2012. The injury occurred when his knee was hit by the helmet of Chargers cornerback
Quentin Jammer
Quentin Tremaine Jammer (born June 19, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and earned All-American honors ...
during the second quarter of the Broncos' 30–23 win. Coach John Fox initially stated that McGahee would not be placed on Injured Reserve, but on November 19, McGahee underwent an MRI that revealed a torn medial collateral ligament and compression fracture in his right knee. McGahee was placed on Injured Reserve on November 21, while the Broncos used the NFL's new "Designated for Return" label, meaning that he could potentially play in the post season. He finished the 2012 season with 167 carries for 731 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to go along with 26 receptions for 221 receiving yards.
McGahee was designated for assignment on June 13, 2013, due to health concerns and then waived on June 16.
Cleveland Browns
After the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
traded
Trent Richardson
Trenton Jamond Richardson (born July 10, 1990) is an American football running back for the Caudillos de Chihuahua of Fútbol Americano de México. He played college football for the University of Alabama, was recognized as an All-American, and ...
, their first-round (third overall) pick in the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
, to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
for their first-round choice in 2014, the Browns brought in McGahee to replace him. After passing his team physical, McGahee agreed to terms with the Browns.
In the 2013 season, McGahee appeared in 12 games and had 38 carries for 377 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Personal life
McGahee was known for both his dislike of Applebee’s (which his successor in Buffalo,
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Nicknamed "Beast Mode", he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Lync ...
, lampooned in an ESPN skit with
Kenny Mayne
Kenny Mayne (born ) is an American sports media personality who is best known for his work on ESPN from 1994 to 2021. He appeared as host of ''Kenny Mayne's Wider World of Sports'' on ESPN.com, and he appeared as a weekly contributor to ''Sund ...
.) and his multiple children with various women in his life. Last count had him at 10 children by 9 different women by the time he was 32.
In 2016, he starred on the
E! reality television series ''
Famously Single
''Famously Single'' is an American reality television series that premiered on June 14, 2016, on the E! network. The series follows eight single celebrities who all move in together and try to solve their romantic problems.
Production
The sh ...
''.
McGahee made several appearances in television commercials for
Easterns Automotive Group, a local car dealership group on the Washington D. C. and Baltimore areas, alongside
Chief Zee,
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El (; born August 17, 1979) is an American football coach and former player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He is currently the wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions of the Nati ...
and
Santana Moss
Santana Terrell Moss (born June 1, 1979) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami, where he earned All-American hon ...
.
NFL career statistics
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGahee, Willis
1981 births
Living people
African-American players of American football
All-American college football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football running backs
Baltimore Ravens players
Buffalo Bills players
Denver Broncos players
Cleveland Browns players
Miami Hurricanes football players
Players of American football from Miami
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people