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Patrick Willis Appreciation Thread

Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:19 pm
Posted by pioneerbasketball
Team Bunchie
Member since Oct 2005
132236 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:19 pm
2× First-team All-SEC (2005, 2006)
2× All-American (2005, 2006)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2006)
Butkus Award (2006)
Jack Lambert Trophy (2006)
Conerly Trophy (2006)
College Football Hall of Fame - inducted in 2019

As a freshman at Ole Miss, Willis played in all 13 games and made 20 stops. He received the Scholar-Athlete Award from the Ole Miss chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

As a sophomore in 2004, he appeared in 10 of 11 games and earned honorable mention All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors from the Associated Press. He recorded 70 tackles (54 solo), and led the team with 11.0 tackles for a loss and five sacks.

In Willis's 2005 junior campaign, he led the SEC in total tackles at 12.80 per game, which placed him sixth nationally. He finished season with 128 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Willis was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com and Scout.com. He was also named as a first-team All-American by College Football News and the All-American Football Foundation. Willis earned first-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press, SEC Coaches, CollegeFootballNews.com and Rivals.com.

During Willis's last collegiate year in 2006, he led the SEC in tackles once again with 11.4 per game and collected 137 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, seven passes deflected, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He was awarded SEC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-SEC, and consensus first-team All-American. He was the winner of the Jack Lambert Award and the prestigious Dick Butkus Award, given to the most outstanding linebacker in college football. He also won the Conerly Trophy, voted upon by the media in Mississippi and awarded to the best college football player in Mississippi. In addition, he was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award and semi-finalist for both the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Lott Trophy.
Posted by Porker Face
Midnight
Member since Feb 2012
15319 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:23 pm to
Dude was a stud
Posted by Jack Daniel
In the bottle
Member since Feb 2013
25414 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:24 pm to
He was a great college player but shouldn’t be in NFL HOF
Posted by Henry Jones Jr
Member since Jun 2011
68475 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:25 pm to
He was an absolute beast. I am surprised he got in with how short his NFL career was (7 years). Just goes to show you the committee knows he was one of the greats. I figured Eli would get in before him.
This post was edited on 2/9/24 at 5:27 pm
Posted by Henry Jones Jr
Member since Jun 2011
68475 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:26 pm to
quote:

He was a great college player
He was the best linebacker in the league every year he played in the NFL
Posted by pioneerbasketball
Team Bunchie
Member since Oct 2005
132236 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:28 pm to
This is about his college stats
Posted by one and all
Member since Feb 2012
1153 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:30 pm to
he the monster y'all had playing with that club/cast thingy on right?.... if so, dude was an absolute beast.
Posted by Henry Jones Jr
Member since Jun 2011
68475 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:31 pm to
quote:

he the monster y'all had playing with that club/cast thingy on right?.... if so, dude was an absolute beast.
Yep. He averaged 11 tackles a game with that thing

One of my favorite memories from his days at Ole Miss was when he ran Darren McFadden down in 2006. The other was him stuffing that LSU running back with perfect form tackle in 2005.
We got our asses absolutely blasted in both of those games but it wasn’t because of Willis
This post was edited on 2/9/24 at 5:33 pm
Posted by Pickle_Weasel
Member since Mar 2016
3804 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:33 pm to
Dude wasn't just an amazing athlete, but is a fantastic person.

He was an absolute beast on the field that had a knack to getting to the ball carrier.

https://youtu.be/uN22zvvxAJ0?si=WnnwF8fvL188gMkY
Posted by one and all
Member since Feb 2012
1153 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:36 pm to
thought so.... dude was an animal out there.. remember watching him wreck shop & thinking "look at this MF!! .. the instincts, the closing speed. "

guy was ferocious
Posted by pioneerbasketball
Team Bunchie
Member since Oct 2005
132236 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:45 pm to
quote:

Ole Miss was when he ran Darren McFadden down in 2006.

Remember it like yesterday

Crazy to think that was 17 years ago.
Posted by JohnnyRebel
Colorado
Member since Sep 2014
7182 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 5:46 pm to
If I were teach young Line-Backers on what a perfect form tackle looks like. I’d show them Patrick Willis:


Posted by JasonMason
Memphis
Member since Jun 2009
4654 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 6:27 pm to
quote:

He was a great college player but shouldn’t be in NFL HOF


You didn't follow his NFL career clearly.

He was a 1st team all pro every full season he played.
This post was edited on 2/9/24 at 6:28 pm
Posted by ManBearSharkReb
Member since Dec 2018
3725 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 6:31 pm to
P Willie would have gone down as the greatest LB in NFL history not named Ray Lewis if he hadn’t retired so early.
Posted by captdalton
Member since Feb 2021
7973 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 6:51 pm to
Patrick Willis was the best player on the field most games he played.

It is amazing the number of players that were taken in by other families. That one scene in the video where he is rubbing the Chucky Mullins statue was bittersweet. Both Chucky and Willis were taken in by other families because their biological parents were not able to take care of them, and locals had to make the choice to take them in or let them go into the foster care system. Which is rarely good.
Posted by SECdragonmaster
Order of the Dragons
Member since Dec 2013
16175 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 8:32 pm to
One of my favorite SEC players of all time.

If I was an Ole Miss fan - I would have a signed Willis jersey on my wall.
Posted by genuineLSUtiger
Nashville
Member since Sep 2005
72873 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 8:36 pm to
He was aight. Would have been second string at LSU in that era though.
Posted by captdalton
Member since Feb 2021
7973 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 8:54 pm to
Posted by Doak Walker
Dallas
Member since Sep 2022
387 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 9:52 pm to
That's a solid tribute for a rival fanbase Pioneer. I'd give you 20 upvotes if I could. PWilly was definitely a stud and will long be remembered as one of the few Ole Miss greats.
Posted by MadisonReb10
Brandon, MS
Member since Aug 2010
884 posts
Posted on 2/9/24 at 9:59 pm to
quote:

He was aight. Would have been second string at LSU in that era though.


Even Ali Highsmith is laughing at you. He’s the one consistent LB you had as well as your best LB at that time. Or is it Darry Beckwith? Jacob Cutrera? GTFO with these no name players. You had elite level DL and DBs. LB’s were shite compared to Patrick Willis.
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