Patrick Willis
FameRank: 6

"Patrick L. Willis" is an American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels football/University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss") and received consensus All-American honors.

During Willis' senior season at Ole Miss, he received the Dick Butkus Award/Butkus Award and the Lambert Award/Jack Lambert Award as the nation’s top linebacker. A year later as a member of the 49ers, Willis led the NFL in tackles, earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors while being named the 2007 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year/AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Willis has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in all six years he has played in the NFL. He is the only player to receive the Butkus Award for best linebacker in more than one category. He won the college Butkus Award in 2006 while at Ole Miss Rebels football/Ole Miss and in 2009, he won the professional Butkus Award while with the San Francisco 49ers. He is part of an elite linebacker core with Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman.

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I was once in their shoes, too. I remember when I was a freshman, I asked so many questions, I thought everybody was going to be like, 'Man, P., will you just quit asking me questions?' But they didn't say that. Those guys helped me out, so that's what I'm doing now to the younger guys here.

If you never really had any money, then what's another year to wait for it. As I've grown in college, you kind of learn to be patient. And if you do, good things will happen for you.

You can leave early and then come back to graduate, but if you do leave, you can't get that senior season back.

I feel blessed to be able to represent Chucky and will do my best to live up to the characteristics he possessed. I became familiar with his story when I was a freshman. He was a special person.