New England Patriots
McGinest initially earned the quantity after Junior Seau at USC. Later, the linebackers had a full circle second with it.
Due to Willie McGinest, the No. 55 jersey grew to become a little bit of an iconic one within the early days of the Patriots dynasty.
McGinest wore that quantity throughout his tenure in Foxborough from 1994-2005, carrying it on from his faculty days at USC. Because it seems, he solely acquired that honor in faculty because of a practice began by fellow USC nice Junior Seau.
McGinest appeared on the “All the Smoke” podcast forward of the Tremendous Bowl and defined the origins of No. 55 and Seau.
“He [Seau] solely performed one 12 months of faculty soccer … he performed his junior 12 months and went nuts,” McGinest mentioned. “He had like 24 sacks. Fifth decide within the draft off of 1 12 months. … After his 12 months, they made {that a} particular quantity for the premiere linebacker coming in.”
That opened the door for McGinest to don the jersey, and as soon as he acquired to Foxborough, he caught with it. Over these 11 seasons within the professionals, McGinest made No. 55 his personal, showing in 4 Tremendous Bowls, successful three, and turning into the Patriots second all-time sack leader.
Flash ahead to 2006, McGinest left New England, and Invoice Belichick introduced Seau in that offseason. Seau was a 15 year NFL veteran and already established himself as a future corridor of famer by this level. However he nonetheless revered McGinest sufficient to ask for his blessing to put on No. 55 in Foxborough.
“The air got here out of me, I used to be like, ‘yeah you kidding me bro? You gave delivery to that quantity, that’s your quantity’,” McGinest recalled. “He mentioned ‘yeah I do know bro. However you made it one thing right here in New England’. It was simply all respect and all love and that’s the sort of man Junior was man.”
It was a full circle second between a pair of all-time nice linebackers. And McGinest and Seau wore the quantity so properly that apparently Belichick tried to begin a practice of his personal with the quantity.
A fellow Patriots nice Brandon Spikes chimed in on the No. 55 dialogue, saying Belichick made him put on the quantity when he acquired to Foxborough.
Spikes wore the quantity till 2013, capping off 20 full years of historical past with No. 55 in New England. Others have worn the number since, however not in the identical method Spikes, Seau and McGinest did.
No person on New England’s lively roster wears No. 55, however on condition that Mike Vrabel performed with each McGinest and Seau, possibly the anecdote will encourage him to proceed on that custom. Both method, a practice that started at USC within the 90s discovered significance within the early days of the Patriots dynasty.
Vrabel and Drake Maye look to fast-track a brand new Patriots dynasty on Sunday.
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