To Your Health September, 2008 (Vol. 02, Issue 09)

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Secrets To Success

By Editorial Staff

Willie McGinest knows all about success. A high-school star in football and basketball. A linebacker for, and graduate of, the University of Southern California. The number-four pick in the 1994 National Football League draft, selected by the New England Patriots. A two-time Pro Bowl selection. And a Super Bowl champion not once, not twice, but three times.

Now with the Cleveland Browns, Willie just announced that 2008 will be his final season in the NFL. So far, he's played nearly 200 games spanning 14 seasons; far longer than the average professional football player, who averages 3.5 years and less than 60 games in the league. What accounts for his longevity and success? A healthy attitude and healthy habits, including regular chiropractic care, among other things. But don't take our word for it; hear what Willie has to say in this exclusive interview.

This will be your 15^th season in the NFL. How have you done it?

It's hard work, determination, sacrifice and commitment. A big part of that is taking care of your body. I wish I would have known a lot of things at a younger age, like just taking care of your body - getting chiropractic and massages, the cold tubs, the hot tubs. Doing a lot more of the preventative stuff before something happens. Our coach, Romeo Crennel [head coach for the Browns and former defensive coordinator for the Patriots] told us an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of rehab. I understand how my body functions, what works for my body and what keeps it going.

You mentioned chiropractic - what was your first experience with chiropractic care?

When I was with the New England Patriots, we had a team chiropractor, Dr. [Michael] Miller, who had been with the team some 25 years. I tried it when I found myself having small pulls and found out I was off-center. My back wasn't lined up. That's really important in playing a contact sport like we do. Our bodies are already machines, going 100 miles an hour, running into people, but it helps if you are aligned. If you aren't lined up or one side is off, it can cause the muscles and other parts of the body to work harder, and that causes those muscles to give out on you.

Do the Browns have a team chiropractor?

Yes, we have one [Dr. Greg Kempf, who's been with the team since 1999]. When I was on the East Coast, I used Dr. Miller. They are probably the two best I have ever had. They know my body; they know what's out. I know my body; I know when something's not lined up right. They usually go right to the problem and solve it.

Is it your experience that most NFL players use chiropractic care to some degree?

I think a lot of teams are starting to use it more and doing the research. It was a big thing a while ago that chiropractors were supposedly manipulating the muscles of the back but it wasn't doing anything. I found that not to be true. I think a lot of my success and a lot of my being healthy was heavily dependent upon chiropractic work.