Three-Time Super Bowl Champion Willie McGinest Arrested in Los Angeles

By Brian Jones

Willie McGinest, a former NFL linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. was arrested in Los Angeles on Monday, according to TMZ Sports. The 51-year-old was booked around 7:30 a.m. local time, and bail was set at $30,000. Sources told TMZ Sports that McGinest turned himself in for his connection with an assault that allegedly occurred within the past two weeks. 

McGinest was selected No. 4 overall by the Patriots in the 1994 NFL Draft. He spent 12 seasons with the Patriots and was selected to the Pro Bowl twice while helping the team win Super Bowls in 2001, 2003 and 2004. In 2006, McGinest signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns and was there for three seasons before retiring in 2009. McGinest finished his career with 582 tackles, 86 sacks, five interceptions and 16 forced fumbles. He's a member of the Patriots All-1990s Team, the Patriots All-2000s Team, the Patriots All-Dynasty Team and is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame. 

"I was in (Robert Kraft's) office today, and I said, 'The one request I have is I want to retire a Patriot,'" McGinest said during his Patriots Hall of Fame speech in 2015, per Mass Live. "He was like, 'There's some legal stuff we have got to work out, we don't know when that can happen, maybe a few months down the line. They never cease to amaze me."

McGinest also talked about Kraft's goal for the Patriots. "When I was drafted in '94, I talked to Mr. Kraft and the one thing that he said is he had a vision," McGinest said. "He wanted this to be one of the greatest organizations not just in football, but in sports. I tell the guys now that they are the luckiest football players in the NFL."

McGinest is also the NFL all-time leader in sacks during the playoffs with 16. He also holds the record for playoff sacks in a game with 4.5. McGinest played college football at USC and finished his career with 193 tackles, 29 sacks, and 26 passes defended. Following his retirement from football, McGinest became an NFL analyst and worked for Fox Sports and ESPN before joining the NFL Network. 

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