McGinest ready to take big ride with Browns

BEREA (AP) — Another brutal training camp practice behind him, Willie McGinest yanked off his helmet, shredded his sweat-soaked jersey and shoulder pads and began walking slowly to the Browns’ locker room in the sweltering heat.

Before leaving the field, he slid into the driver’s seat of a golf cart. He wrapped his giant hands around the steering wheel, and although McGinest wasn’t going anywhere, the linebacker looked as if he was ready to take a ride.

He’s about to — off into the sunset.

McGinest, who won three Super Bowl rings in 12 seasons with New England and holds the NFL record for postseason sacks, is preparing for his 15th and final season, one the 36-year-old believes can be special in Cleveland.

“This is a very talented team,” McGinest said of the Browns, who went 10-6 but just missed making the AFC playoffs last season. “I try not to compare teams, but this team has a lot of talent and a lot of potential.”

When the 2007 season ended, McGinest left Cleveland not knowing if he would return — or if he wanted to. He missed the first three games last season after back surgery and the wear and tear of 14 training camps, countless hours in the weight room, grueling training sessions and the pounding of 216 career games had taken its toll.

He was tired, mentally and physically.

“I had some doubts about coming back,” he said. “I wanted to assess how I felt, what was going on with the team and how my body felt. I wanted to talk to my family.”

While he was deciding on his future, the team made it clear to McGinest that they wanted him, and that they needed him.

And by early April, after seeing the Browns’ front office make another big splash in free agency and trades, McGinest decided he would give it one last shot.