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Patrick Willis is one of four defensive players in NFL history — along with Lawrence Taylor, Aaron Donald and Derrick Thomas — to be a Pro Bowler each of their first seven seasons in the NFL. The accolades hardly end there. (Photo by Daniel Gluskoter/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
One of the greatest San Francisco 49ers, and greatest defensive players in NFL history, will finally receive his gold jacket.
After being nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame five straight years, former 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis will be enshrined in Canton. Despite the wait, a closer look at his career accolades suggests that it was only a matter of time before he heard his name called for the prestigious honor.
Willis was a seven-time Pro Bowler. He was named All-Pro first time five times in his eight years in the NFL. The star linebacker also made the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s. When it was all said and done, Willis knew that eventually the time would come when he would get that special knock on his door.
“Really just a full circle moment,” Willis told NBC Sports. “The only thing that I could think about when I got the knock was ‘it’s happening.’ I said for so long if it’s supposed to happen, whenever it does, it will. And this is the time now.”
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Willis was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. The Ole Miss product started in all 16 games during his rookie season and recorded 174 tackles and four sacks. Those numbers were not only good enough to win Willis the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but they also proved he was already one of the league’s best defensive players and as a result got a Pro Bowl nod and a spot on the All-Pro first team.
Former 49ers fullback Michael Robinson, who played three seasons together with Willis, said that even as a rookie he knew that Willis was different from the pack.
“The guy was…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-hall-of-fame-patrick-willis-stood-out-even-among-49ers-greats-and-nfls-all-time-defenders-130032013.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-26 13:00:32
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