Background and career
Willis Andrew McGahee III (born October 21, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors in 2002. McGahee was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. In addition to his time with the Bills, he played for the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. In 2015, McGahee signed on as an athlete for the Miami Surge of the National Pro Grid League.
McGahee was born in Miami, Florida. He attended Miami Central High School for one year after transferring from Miami Springs High School, where he previously attended for three years.
McGahee received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Miami, where he played for coach Butch Davis and coach Larry Coker's Miami Hurricanes football teams from 2000 to 2002. McGahee was a member of the 2001 University of Miami team, which won the National Championship over Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl that year. In 2002, McGahee, along with Ken Dorsey, Andre Johnson, Kellen Winslow II, 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. On December 7 against Virginia Tech, he had 39 carries for 205 yards and six rushing touchdowns in the win. His six touchdowns were a Big East record. 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 touchdowns. Only UCF's Kevin Smith (29 in 2007), Florida Atlantic's Devin Singletary (32 in 2017), Nebraska's Mike Rozier (29 in 1983), Colorado State's Kapri Bibbs (31 in 2013), Wisconsin's Montee Ball (33 in 2011), and Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (37 in 1988) ran for more touchdowns in an NCAA Division I-A season. Following his 2002 sophomore season, he was a first-team All-Big east selection and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. McGahee's ten 100-yard performances broke the Hurricanes' season record of eight, set by Ottis Anderson in 1978; he added 355 yards on 25 receptions, for a 14.2 average, that season. He gained 2,108 all-purpose yards during 2002, which remains a Hurricanes' season record. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, 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 National Championship Game, McGahee suffered an injury after catching a screen pass from Dorsey. He was immediately hit by Buckeye safety Will Allen, turning his left knee into a swivel joint and causing tears of the ACL, PCL, and MCL. Prior to getting hurt, he had rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown, as Miami would lose the game in double-overtime, 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. At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he had rushed for 2,067 yards and 31 touchdowns. He majored in criminology while at the University of Miami.
Prior to his knee injury in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, 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 by the Buffalo Bills. The Bills originally acquired the pick in a trade that sent Peerless Price to the Atlanta Falcons. Due to the length of the rehabilitation for his knee, he missed the entire 2003 season.
McGahee made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2004 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars and had nine carries for 31 rushing yards in the 13–10 loss. In Week 6, McGahee assumed the starting role over Travis Henry and had 26 carries for 111 rushing yards in the 20–13 victory over the Miami Dolphins. In Week 8, he scored his first two professional touchdowns in a 38–14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. In the following game, a 22–17 victory over the New York Jets, 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, 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.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
