Kardell Thomas

The Bulldozer

Over the weekend, I got to talk to one of the most talked about high school players in America Kardell Thomas. He attended the Army All-American Combine last week and dominated defensive linemen. Of course, the video of him dominating those players went viral and the four-star offensive lineman probably reeled in a few more offers. He looked like a man amongst boys with his size and physical skills. This kid is only a sophomore so his mailbox will be inundated with letters.

Thomas attended combines last year after his freshman season and felt like a few guys caught him off guard. That left a bad taste in his mouth and this year he intends to prove he is the top rated lineman undisputedly. He is committed to LSU due to a decision he made in late July in 2016. In an interview, he illustrated the fact that USC, Florida, Miami, and Alabama contact him often. He will visit a few of those schools in the near future.

After reading and watching his highlights, it is easy to see why Thomas is viewed as the top lineman in the class of 2019. He helped lead his high school, Southern Lab, to a Division IV State Championship. At 6'5 and well over 330 pounds, he probably excites coaches that come see him. He is extremely violent and that is a good thing in the game of football. Thomas has an excellent punch at the point of attack and I am sure defenders feel like they are getting hit with a Billy club. He puts his hat on guys and drives them to the ground or he runs them over and goes to the next guy. I am sure that is how he got his nickname "Mr. Pancake." I have a better one for you KT "The Bulldozer." Thomas recognizes that he is a great run blocker, but he knows he needs to improve his pass protection.

Thomas is extremely agile for a man at his size and I asked him if he trains to get faster. He said, "Its natural and I made it better by working on it I use to play running back when I was like three but to improve it I do everything with a weight vest on like jumping rope, box jumps, and jumping over the weight bar with the weight vest and two 25 pound weights in my hand." You really see how fast he is when he has to get out in the open field on screens or when his tail back breaks free. As a defensive back, the last thing I would want to see is a man of his size running at me. It would be like a train with no breaks steamrolling toward me.

Thomas is a dominant player in the high school ranks, but he knows he has a future at the next level. He knows that he needs to work on his pass protection as well as his balance and leverage when he jams defenders. He has been a lineman since he was four years old. Thomas believes he has a future at guard, but he has the speed to play tackle. I love his skill set, but he will be a great player due to his tremendous work ethic. Thomas knows he is not a finished product and is willing to put in the time to perfect his craft. He even joked around and talked about lining up outside to catch passes. Thomas said, "I would play wide receiver because I am unguardable." I am all for a goal line package where he runs a route from tight end!

Thomas is a young player on the rise and definitely one to watch for the next few years.

Willie McGinest

From LB to SC to the NFL

Willie McGinest was one of the most integral yet most overlooked players on the New England Patriots Super Bowl winning teams. At 6'5 and weighing in at 250+ pounds, he was definitely one of the bigger edge rushers in the NFL. The traits that set him apart from other linebackers/defensive ends were his combination of size and speed. McGinest was one of the best in the league at "setting the edge." The edge defender has to be disciplined enough to stay at home, take on a blocker, manipulate the runner into thinking he could get outside, and make the play. It is about as easy as performing open-heart surgery after just graduating with a degree in Astronomy.

McGinest could get after the quarterback and had the instincts to drop back into coverage as his skill set made him a two-time Pro Bowler. He played in 212 games for the Patriots and Cleveland Browns as he accumulated 86 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries, 5 interceptions, 36 pass deflections, and 2 defensive touchdowns. McGinest ranks third in Pats franchise history in sacks and first in defensive touchdowns. McGinest was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame in 2015 and named to the Pats All-1990s and All-2000s teams. He holds the NFL postseason sack record with 16 and most sacks in a playoff game with 4.5. From Long Beach to USC to the NFL, McGinest's mental toughness and drive was something that stuck with me as I got the chance to interview the 15-year NFL veteran. 

McGinest grew up in Long Beach, California and spoke glowingly of his hometown. His family was ubiquitous, the city was diverse, and overall it was just a special place to him. His mother got him into sports, as teeball was actually his first sport. He would then start to play football at the age of 7 and never looked back. When I asked him about playing sports, he said, "Sports kept me out the streets of Long Beach." As a Southern California native, I understand how easily an inner city kid could get into the street life without something as constructive as sports. 

McGinest would play football and basketball as a child and his talents carried over to Long Beach Polytechnic High School where he was a two-sport phenom. In both sports, he received scholarships to play at the next level. In football, he was named an All-American, selected to multiple All-Star teams, earned All-City and All-State as he recorded 18 sacks and blocked four kicks as a senior. In basketball, McGinest averaged 14 points and was an All-CIF Southern Section honoree. In 1989, He would go on to commit to his childhood team USC with a dual scholarship in football and basketball. Imagine trying to stop him on a drive to the basket with that size and speed. He had to be a freight train like LeBron James. He reflected on his commitment as he said, "I knew I would get a good education, it was close enough for my family to come see games, and it was a prestigious university." 

Wearing number 55, McGinest would play for the Trojans from 1990 to 1993. Former Trojan great Junior Seau wanted him to carry on his legacy with that jersey. He struggled his first two seasons with off the field issues and never fully recovering from an ankle injury. The Long Beach native would show flashes of brilliance at linebacker, as he would wreak havoc in backfields as well as sideline to sideline. Other games he would simply struggle, as he would be seemingly stuck in quick sand. But then the light came on for McGinest as a junior. He racked up 15+ sacks and put the NFL on notice. As a senior, he was a Lombardi Award finalist, an All-American, and earned All-Pac-10 honors. He finished his career with 48 tackles for losses, 29 sacks, and 26 pass deflections. I guess you could say McGinest carried on the legacy of that historical jersey. He always knew the NFL buzz surrounded him. McGinest said, "I really just enjoyed the experience of college and getting an education." He graduated with a degree in Public Administration. 

The Trojan standout would go on to the 1994 NFL Draft where he was selected fourth by the New England Patriots. As far as adjusting to the NFL, McGinest never flinched in the face of stiffer competition. He recognized it was a big jump, but he said he made a big jump from high school to college due to his incredible work ethic and mental fortitude. The NFL to him was what he called "on the job training." He established himself as one of the best edge defenders by year two as he recorded 11 sacks and forced four fumbles. McGinest was one of the most versatile players in Coach Bill Belichick's defense. His willingness to change positions on a week-to-week basis was understated as he made sacrifices for the sake of the overall team success.

McGinest was keen on the description of his former coach and the system that has made the Patriots one of the most dominant franchises over the last 15+ years. He said, "Belichick is very smart and a great evaluator of talent. He understands the game of football in its totality and makes sure his guys are in a position to succeed. The system he has in place requires players to be smart, tough, and physical and willing to adapt on a weekly basis." His sentiments about Belichick are true as a talent evaluator when you see the different players he can put out there and still win games. Belichick is a master at tweaking his schemes to the strengths of his players while masking their flaws. Tom Brady is not nimble so that is why we see quick throws offensively. 

McGinest was solid during the regular season as an interchangeable player on that Pats defense, but he might as well have changed his name to Mr. Postseason. He recorded 4.5 sacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and passed Bruce Smith for the most sacks in the postseason. He helped lead New England to three Super Bowls and played big in all three. Against the St. Louis Rams, he helped get the Patriots take momentum as he sacked Kurt Warner on a 16-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Then, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he was assigned the job of containing Donovan McNabb. No problem. McGinest showed off his athleticism and intelligence, as McNabb was not able to gain any yards as a scrambler. The toughest Super Bowl in his opinion was against the Carolina Panthers. He described them as a physical team and it was a war every play. His favorite Super Bowl was the first one they won against the Rams because no one gave them a chance.

McGinest wrapped his career up as a three-time Super Bowl champion and extremely team-oriented. He was willing to do any and everything to win and described himself as a workaholic. The former Trojan is easily one of the most overlooked players in Patriots franchise history. His unselfishness helped Belichick establish a winning culture and made other guys realize the game is bigger than them. He was a pioneer for today's edge defenders because of his ability to get after the quarterback, stop runs, and drop back in coverage effortlessly. Today we see teams looking for players with the physical features and skill set of McGinest. I asked him if he ever thought about giving up prior to making it to the league. McGinest said, "Giving up was never an option." He went into greater detail about how no one in his family ever went to college and he wanted to get out of Long Beach and do better things. Well Willie, I think its safe to say you did more than just "better things."