The image is as memorable as the game itself, Miami running back Willis McGahee taking a low hit from Ohio State's Will Allen in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, tearing his ACL, PCL, and MCL in the process.
The injury cost McGahee millions of dollars when he slipped from a sure top-five draft selection to No. 23. One day after Christian McCaffrey joined Leonard Fournette in skipping his team's bowl game to prepare for the draft, McGahee said wouldn't change a thing about his choice to play in his last college game.
"If I had to do it all over again, I'd play again. I'm not going to sit here and lie, I'd still play in the game," the two-time Pro Bowler told ESPN's SportsCenter.
When asked if the 2003 Fiesta Bowl being the national championship game made a difference, McGahee said it wouldn't have mattered which bowl game it was.
"Even if it's a secondary bowl game you got to understand, do they even know what position they're being drafted in? Because this game could help them and boost them, get them more money."
