The middle child in a family of three boys from Marshfield, Mass., McGee is known to many on campus simply as number nine. He certainly has put together a football career few, if any, of his Amherst predecessors could match. Amherst's star defensive tackle was named both NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year and a Third Team Hewlett-Packard NCAA Division III All-American at the end of this year, and he will graduate from Amherst in possession of the College's single season and career sack records.
But individual accomplishment isn't the most important yardstick of success for McGee. "The postseason awards and stuff are nice and all, but that isn't what it is all about," said McGee. "Football was certainly huge [for me at Amherst], but the friends I made here, especially my roommates, are the most important."
McGee has an admirable devotion to his friends and family and he understands that individual accolades are rarely achieved through individual achievement alone. "Every success I have had and anything that is going to come to me later in life is a direct result of how good my family has been to me," said McGee. "They have been my biggest fans throughout, and without their support I wouldn't be anything."
E. J. Mills, Amherst's head football coach and defensive coordinator, tells a story about this past year's game against Trinity College over Family Weekend. "After the game, one of the officials came up to me and said 'Please, coach, let number nine and number four [quad-captain Dan Lalli '02, who is one of McGee's roommates] know that they are classy players,'" said Mills. "And as a coach that is just a great thing to hear. Pat is a class act."
A defensive tackler is born
McGee first started to play competitive football in the eighth grade. "I have always liked football," said McGee. "I wasn't always good at it, but I definitely enjoyed the team aspect and I just loved the game."
McGee worked hard in high school, both on the physical and technical aspects of the game, and after completing his senior season at Boston College High School, McGee found himself piquing the interest of several college coaches. He ultimately chose Amherst over Georgetown, Harvard and Cornell, and knows he made the right choice. "[These past four years] were the best four years I've had thus far," said McGee. "This place is perfect. I wish I had four more years here. I think we sometimes forget how good we have things here."
While McGee didn't start his freshman year he saw a good deal of playing time in his first season at Amherst. Even in a supporting role, he registered 4.5 sacks as a freshman. As a sophomore, McGee finally cracked Mills' starting lineup. Number nine responded to his increased role by racking up a team-high seven sacks. But it was in the period between his sophomore and junior year that McGee developed into a truly dominant force in the NESCAC. "I think most of my development came between my sophomore and junior year," said McGee. "I just worked hard. I really wanted to get better."
McGee's hard work in the off-season paid off big dividends, as the hard-nosed defensive tackle put up big numbers early in the 2000 football season. Against Colby College midway through the season, McGee was a one-man wrecking crew, tallying four sacks and 10 tackles.
Breaking the cast
Unfortunately, disaster struck in the team's next game against Little III rival Wesleyan University. While going to make a tackle early in the game, McGee tore his ACL and lateral meniscus. The injury would sideline McGee for the rest of the season. He would have to watch from the sidelines as his teammates pulled off an incredible 20-12 victory over Williams College to end what had been a 13-game losing streak against their archrival and to secure a share of the NESCAC Championships for the College.
"At the time it really sucked," explained McGee of being injured. "It was awful. But I learned a lot about myself, and it helped me out in the long run." In order not to be totally without McGee's services, Mills asked his star player to help coach the defensive line for the remainder of the season. This allowed McGee to stay close to his teammates.
"[Pat's] true colors really came out when he got injured," said Mills. "I don't think we would have beat Williams last year [without his help]. And that is when you find out if the kid is special. It is easy to do the right thing when things are going well, but are you going to do the right thing when things are going badly?"
McGee, who had eight sacks and 12 tackles for a loss during his abbreviated junior campaign, was still named both a First-Team All-NESCAC and a Second-Team All-ECAC selection despite missing half of the season.
Rehabilitation is demanding both physically and mentally, but McGee was more than ready to meet this difficult challenge during the interlude between his junior and senior season. His remarkable mental intensity impresses all who know him.
"Pat is perhaps the most motivated, driven person I have ever met," said roommate and fellow quad-captain Matt Flavin '02.
"His determination to accomplish whatever task is at hand is truly remarkable." Mills added. "Pat is, to me, the most mentally tough kid that I have ever coached."
McGee did much of the grueling rehabilitation on his own. "[My injury] was tough, but it wasn't something that was impossible to come back from," said McGee. "I just needed to work hard at [rehabilitation]."
If McGee's teammates and coaches expected number nine to return from injury and have a spectacular senior season, they were surely not disappointed. In 2001, McGee, who was selected to be a quad-captain at the start of the season, was an integral part of Amherst's fantastic 7-1 year which culminated with a magical overtime showdown at Williams to determine the undefeated champion of the NESCAC. Amherst ended up on the wrong side of the tilt, but that was about all that went wrong for McGee in 2001.
McGee, along with Lalli, Brian Landolfi '02 and Jay Hutchins '02, headlined a defense that led the nation in scoring defense at 6.1 points per game. Mills' prized unit was the top ranked defense in the NESCAC and did not let up a passing touchdown all season long, a feat which had not been accomplished since 1980.
While many of his accomplishments can only be seen in the context of the performance of the defense as a whole, McGee was undoubtedly the most feared player in the NESCAC this past season. The super lineman accumulated 50 tackles and 9.5 sacks, an Amherst single season record. McGee's career sack total of 29.5 is also an Amherst record.
A particularly notable game for McGee came in the Jeffs' home opener against Bowdoin College. Playing for much of the game with a broken and dislocated finger, the ferocious McGee compiled two sacks and four tackles for a loss in Amherst's shutout win. Even in a 35-0 rout, McGee refused to give anything less than his best.
McGee received ample recognition for his stellar year when postseason awards were announced. McGee was tabbed as a Hewlett-Packard NCAA Division III Third-Team All-American, a First Team All-NESCAC, the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, a First-Team ECAC Division III Northeast All Star and a D3Football.com Third Team All-American, among other honors.
From the Jeffs to the SEALS
"This year was so great, especially how things came together at the end," said McGee. "The Williams game was really special. I loved playing the game, but I think it is time to move on."
McGee, who will leave Amherst with a degree in Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought, hopes to join up with the Navy SEALS after graduation. The physical rigor and camaraderie of the SEALS seem to fit McGee perfectly. "I just got a chance to do something really cool," he said.
"Patrick brought a level of intensity to Amherst football that is rarely seen in this league. He gave opposing offensive coordinators nightmares for several years and it will be a long time before they forget him," said Lalli. "But, as anyone would say about him, as good of an athlete and football player he has been, he is definitely an even better man and friend."