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.
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