Tim McGarigle, a linebacker from Northwestern University, became the first Saint Patrick High School alumnus ever selected in the National Football League Draft on April 30. The St. Louis Rams chose McGarigle in the seventh round with the 221st overall pick. McGarigle will compete for a spot at middle linebacker and on special teams with the Rams, beginning at a rookie mini-camp May 13-15 and continuing with a full squad mini-camp June 9-11 in Missouri.

McGarigle enjoyed a spectacular four-year career at Northwestern, where he was the physical and emotional leader of the Wildcat defense. McGarigle finished his career as the NCAA’s all-time leading tackler with 545 tackles, and broke Chuck Kern’s Wildcat record of 503 tackles against Iowa on November 5, 2005. McGarigle was twice named All-Big Ten three times. As a senior he was a semifinalist for both the Dick Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker) and the Chuck Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player). In his career, McGarigle recorded double-digit tackle totals 29 times, and he was named National Defensive Player of the Week on two occasions: against Wisconsin in 2005 (25 tackles, career-best 3.5 tackles for loss and a career-best two sacks), and October 31, 2004 for his 21-tackle effort in Northwestern's upset win over nationally-ranked Purdue.

As a Shamrock, McGarigle was an honorable mention all-state and all-area selection by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Champaign News-Gazette. He was named first-team all-conference and Catholic Metropolitan Conference (White Division) Defensive Player of the Year as well as team MVP as a senior. In his final season at Saint Patrick, McGarigle starred on both sides of the ball, totaling 107 tackles, and rushing for 1,457 yards and 12 touchdowns as a tailback. That year the Shamrocks finished 6-3 and reached the second round of the IHSA State Playoffs for the first time since 1988.