In August, linebacker Patrick Willis became the third Ole Miss Rebel to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Written and Researched by Leslie Criss | Photographs Contributed by Ole Miss Athletics
In early August, seven football legends became forever a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. One of those seven, Patrick Willis, made a name for himself not only in professional football but also during his college career as an Ole Miss Rebel.
In his Hall of Fame speech in Canton on Aug. 3, he recalled the moments and influences in his life that guided him on his football journey, culminating with his eight-year career with the San Francisco 49ers. “It’s not necessarily how long you play but how impactful you are,” he said.
A multitalented defensive player at Ole Miss from 2003 to 2006, Willis is only the third Ole Miss Rebel to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with Bruiser Kinard, who played for Ole Miss 1935-38 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970, and Gene Hickerson, who played for Ole Miss 1955-57 and was inducted in 2007.
During his time at Ole Miss, Willis won the Butkus Award and the Lambert Trophy as the nation’s best linebacker. He was twice a Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In 2006, Willis received the Conerly Trophy as the best college player in Mississippi, and he was awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
A native of Bruceton, Tennessee, Willis left Ole Miss and became the 11th overall pick — and first linebacker chosen — in the 2007 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. In his rookie season, he started in every game. He played his entire professional football career for the 49ers. After eight years, he retired after an injury.
His 49ers career is peppered with honors and awards. Among them, he was chosen to be part of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s, won the Bill Walsh Award as the 49ers’ most valuable player and was a five-time Associated Press first-team All-Pro.
Willis was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame five consecutive years.
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