BIOGRAPHY
Pernell McPhee was born on December 17, 1988, in Orlando, Florida. He is an outside linebacker in the NFL.
Prior to his college career, Pernell attended Pahokee High School, only played one year of high school football, and started on both sides of the ball, playing offensive tackle and defensive end. He registered 75 total tackles, including 35 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback sacks to go along with 12 forced fumbles as a senior.
During his college career, McPhee spent the first two years of his college career at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi, where he was named an NJCAA All-American as a sophomore, a season in which he led the nation with 13.5 sacks. During his career at ICC, he tallied 124 tackles (92 solos), 32.5 sacks, 73.5 TFL, 47 QB pressures, and 4 FFs in 18 games.
During his junior season, Pernell earned first-team junior college all-America recognition by the National Junior College Athletic Association following a star-studded sophomore season for head coach Jeff Terrill at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College. He was a two-time all-state and all-Region XXIII player and named first-team, All-Region XXIII at defensive end. McPhee totaled a nation-leading 13.5 quarterback sacks during that sophomore season, and 23.5 tackles for loss. McPhee totaled 67 tackles that season and led the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges with 19.5 quarterback sacks during that first season.
During his senior season, he was named to the coaches All-SEC first-team in 2010. He served as a team captain in 2010. During his MSU career, he started all 25 of the games in which he appeared and totaled 91 tackles (46 solos), seven sacks, 22 TFL, 20 QB pressures, 2 FFs, and four pass breakups. In 2009, he was twice named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the week.
The Baltimore Ravens drafted McPhee in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. McPhee collected 6.0 sacks as a rookie for the Ravens in 2011, plus 23 tackles and a forced fumble while playing in all 16 regular-season games. McPhee switched from defensive end to outside linebacker for the 2013 season.
On March 10, 2015, McPhee signed a five-year contract with the Chicago Bears. In the 2015 season, McPhee led the team with 18 quarterback hits. In 2017, McPhee played in 13 games with five starts and was placed on injured reserve on December 20, 2017. On February 26, 2018, McPhee was released.
On March 26, 2018, McPhee signed a one-year contract with the Washington Football Team. On May 17, 2019, McPhee signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
