Willis McGahee Talks Ravens Pep Talks, G'n'R, and Beating the 'Boys With FanHouse

Willis McGahee -- of recent Cowboy-destroying fame -- was kind enough to sit down with FanHouse and talk about Brian Billick v. John Harbaugh, Guns n' Roses, Joe Flacco, bounties on players and how the Ravens got ready for the Cowboys.

Will Brinson: Willis, what's up man? How you doing today?

Willis McGahee: I'm alright, how you doing?

WB: Good man, good -- thanks for taking the time to talk to FanHouse today. First off, how'd it feel to beat the Cowboys in the final regular season game in Texas Stadium?

WM: Ah, it felt good, you know. I know their plan was to have a homecoming in the stadium, but our plan was just to go there and play Ravens football and that's what we did -- play Ravens football.

WB: Right on, right on. Hey, I heard a rumor that Jerry Jones petitioned the league to play you guys in the last home game in that stadium. Did you guys hear about that beforehand?

WM: Yeah our coach told us about ... you know they find out about the schedules in January, and you know, they wanted to schedule us for the final game in Texas Stadium, and our coach gave us a speech right before our meeting was over on Friday night ... and we knew it wasn't going to be no easy walk through for us or for them either.

WB: The other story around the game was that Jason Garrett purportedly turned down the head coaching gig in Baltimore in the offseason; Terrell Suggs talked about how that motivated the defense to shut down his offense. Is that something that motivated the whole team?

WM: ... You know what? We didn't care. He got offered the job at the beginning and he didn't accept it, so you know, we had to move on ... that was just his loss.

WB: Sure thing. You had a huge (77-yard) touchdown run, the longest of your career -- how did that feel to rip that thing off in Texas Stadium and almost seal the deal?

WM: Actually, you know, it felt real good -- on national TV, only football going on Saturday night -- wouldn't be no better time than to do it right then and there.

WB: Absolutely. Do you think that run could kick-start -- since you've been a little bit less involved lately -- you getting more touches in the offense as you guys hopefully head towards the playoffs?

WM: Well, you know, if they do, it'll be a good thing. And if it don't, I'll just have to wait until my number's called.

WB: That's a humble way to take it. You know you guys had the third-most single-game rushing yards in Ravens history? Why do you think the offense is suddenly succeeding under Harbaugh, a defensive-minded coach, when it struggled with Billick, an "offensive mastermind," for so long?

WM: Uh, I just think we've got a different approach this year, because we've got a different coach. We're trying to get out of the bad habits that we used to have the last couple of years and start fresh. That's what we're doing: starting fresh.

WB: Did Billick kind of lose the locker room last year? There was talk about that.

WM: Well, I do ... I don't think he lost the locker room because I don't know how it was a couple years before. I was only here for a year. He was a good coach as far as my eyes were open, and things just didn't work out.

WB: How surprising has it been to see Joe Flacco develop?

WM: Oh, it's been great to see Flacco develop; when he first got the starting job he won us -- he won everybody over that very first game when he ran that touchdown in and he threw great passes and everything worked out for him ... he won us over and we're glad to play side-by-side with him.

WB: Well, speaking of kids, which is kind of what Flacco is at this stage, I know that last year you distributed over 650 presents to needy children after hosting a three-week toy drive -- have you got something similar planned this year?

WM: Oh yeah, I got something similar going on this year, but this year is going to be a little bit different. I have Terrell Suggs doing the same thing with me this year, and you know, we're going to do it for Howard County and just help underprivileged kids and try and get them some toys for Christmas this year.

WB: Cool, cool ... so how do you guys go about, like, do you set up shop in the team's stadium or is it related to the team at all or is it all outside the venue of the Ravens?

WM: This is all outside the venue of the Ravens. This is something that I did last year and I wanted to continue doing this year and I'm fortunate to have Terrell Suggs come along this year to help out with it.

WB: Good deal. I want to touch real quick about the reborn Ravens - Steelers rivalry. Have you guys talked about meeting up with them in the playoffs at all?

WM: Yeah, it doesn't really matter who we play in the playoffs, because nine times out of 10, we've already played them in the regular season. And unfortunately, when we played the Steelers, we didn't finish out that game. They came away with a win in the last couple seconds of the game ... if we play them again -- good luck to 'em.

WB: Do you think that was a touchdown by Santonio Holmes at the end?

WM: From my angle it didn't look like no touchdown. I know his feet were in, but the ball has to break the plane, and it didn't break the plane from my angle.

WB: How about, from your angle did it look like Frank Walker spit in Mitch Berger's mouth?

WM: I, uh, wasn't even paying attention to Frank Walker to tell you the truth ... I was trying to follow the ball ...

WB: Switching topics ... I kind of wanted to get your take on college kids jumping to the pros, given the perspective of your injury in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

WM: If you can go, I say, "go." It all depends on how your program raises you ... University of Miami program raises people to come out and be ready to play on an NFL level, so that's how I was brought up -- if you've got the talent and the ability, go out and do it.

WB: Alright, speaking of the Hurricanes -- better all-time defensive 'Cane: Ray Lewis or Warren Sapp?

WM: Uhhhhh, are we talking college or the NFL?

WB: Let's go college, just to be fair.

WM: I don't know. That's a tough decision ...

WB: Alright, how about you count college and the NFL?

WM: College and NFL ... I can't choose between Hurricanes, man.

WB: (Laughing) Alright, finally, I always like to ask athletes ... what's playing on Willis McGahee's iPod?

WM: Uh ... Guns n' Roses, Phil Collins [Ed. Note: two ears and a heart, man.], Lil' Wayne ... that's basically it and some underground artists.

WB: Did you say Guns n' Roses? What do you think about that new Chinese Democracy?

WM: Oh, I haven't got that yet. I'm talking about "Welcome to the Jungle" and stuff like that.

WB: Oh, right, right -- I'm an old school GnR guy myself, but I picked up CD last night ... it's actually pretty good.

WM: Okay.

WB: Well, I guess you guys don't have any bounties out on Maurice Jones-Drew this Sunday, right?

WM: No, not at all.

WB: (Chuckling) So that's just a big myth that Hines Ward mentioned about bounties being out on players?

WM: (Not chuckling) I guess so ... I haven't heard anything about it. I only hear about it when it's on the news.

WB: Alright man, well thanks for taking time to talk to FanHouse and best of luck this week and hopefully in the playoffs.

WM: Alright, man, take care.