Patrick Willis' short but impactful career leads him to Hall of Fame

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — From the day he stepped into the NFL until a foot injury forced him into retirement after eight brilliant seasons as a do-everything linebacker, Patrick Willis succeeded at the highest level.

Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2007. Five first-team All-Pro selections. Seven Pro Bowl nods. A member of the All-Decade team for the 2010s.

None of those lofty honors will match the one coming to Willis on Saturday night when he will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I can take that deep breath now and say it's done,” Willis said back in February when he was announced as a Hall of Famer after his fifth time on the ballot and third as a finalist.

Willis declined interview requests leading up to the induction on Saturday night, preferring to let his play on the field during his career do the talking.

That play delivered a clear message that few linebackers ever reached the consistent level of high-impact play that Willis achieved during his brief but impactful NFL career.

Willis overcame a childhood of abject poverty and tragedy with the death of an influential uncle at age 16 and his brother before Willis' senior year of college to star in the NFL.

He was picked 11th overall out of Mississippi by the 49ers in 2007 and spent his first four seasons as one of the few bright spots on a mediocre team.

He led the NFL with 174 tackles in his debut season when he was selected as the top defensive rookie and a first-team All-Pro and never slowed down until the foot injury early in 2014 sidelined him for the rest of that season and sent him into retirement.

“He just came to work every single day,” said NaVorro Bowman, who was Willis' running mate at linebacker in San Francisco after being drafted in 2010. “He didn’t just want to learn his job, he wanted to learn everybody’s job. He approached it the right way. He was a great example to follow when I came in as a rookie. There was a never a letdown. ... He just moved the right way, approached it the right way and just was a student of the game. That’s what made him a Hall of Famer.”

Willis had played through a litany of injuries throughout his career but he couldn't continue once the injuries hit his feet and deprived him of the speed that allowed him to roam from sideline to sideline as a sure tackler in the running game and an elite coverage linebacker.

“There was never a limiting factor when it came to him,” Bowman said. “He was an all-around linebacker for years. He just did a great job of just playing the position and playing it the right way.”

He was a first-team All-Pro five times, a second-teamer once and an all-decade player, earning the respect from teammates and opponents.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, a star linebacker himself during Willis' time in the NFL, has said that he used to study film of Willis during his time as a player to become a better tackler, calling Willis' selection to the Hall a “no-brainer.”

Willis' high standard still sets the way for the 49ers a decade after he retired.

“One of the best to ever do it,” All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner said. “When you talk about linebacker play, you’re always going to talk about the way the game is supposed to be played at that position. He did it through and through, with the tenacity, the speed, the violence. ... He did it at such a high level here. That’s what I’m always chasing. I’m so happy for him getting that gold jacket. Super well deserved."

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