The second most important NFL event this week will take place tonight at the NFL Honors when the league awards its MVP, Head Coach of the Year and announces its 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. One name that is long past due and needs to be called will be Patrick Willis.
His fate ultimately lies in the 50 Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee where Willis has to get the “yes” from 80% of the voters.
Willis, now in his fifth year of eligibility and his third-consecutive year as a finalist for the hall of fame, was the San Francisco 49ers’ first-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and had an immediate impact on an organization that had definitely seen brighter days.
At the time of his draft, 49ers fans were getting over the retirement of then defensive tackle, and former SJSU defensive line coach, Bryant Young. Young had spent his entire 14-year career with the organization, even helping them win Super Bowl XXIX in his rookie season.
But being a 49ers fan at the time, there was almost no hope I had watching this team as a kid. The 49ers were bad, from the ugly metallic gold pants that they wore, to their stadium that was beginning to rot away — it just wasn’t a good time.
But Willis provided some faith to the 49ers’ “Faithful” earning All-Pro honors, a Pro Bowl selection, leading the league in tackles and winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season.
Willis would continue his success in his career by making the Pro Bowl seven times and receiving five All-Pro honors in his career.
He was also a major staple in the 49ers 2011-2013 playoff run that included a Super Bowl appearance against the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
“I think just like Willie Mays — to me, five facets of baseball, Willie Mays is the greatest of all-time.” Then 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said according to a Oct. 12, 2011 Mercury News blog. “And Patrick Willis has a chance to be one of the all-time great linebackers, if he’s able to play at this elite level in all five facets over a long period of time”
Just after two seasons removed from that Super Bowl loss, Willis, now 30 years old, would find himself hanging up his cleats because of a lingering toe injury.
"I know I no longer have it in these feet to go out there and give you guys that kind of 'Wow,’ ” Willis said in his retirement press conference.
A day that I’ll never forget as I was in eighth-grade band practice when I heard the news. I had essentially grown up watching Willis play since I was in kindergarten and to me he wasn’t just “the 49ers starting linebacker,” to me he was a superhero.
Many of his critics will attribute his current status of not being inducted because of his short NFL career, but I feel what he accomplished in those eight seasons outweighs his longevity.
I completely understand that the Pro Football Hall of Fame process can be challenging and timely as it took former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas 10 years of eligibility to dawn the gold jacket.
But when we compare Willis’ accomplishments to Thomas then it's clear that they belong side by side in the hall.
Thomas, who played 13 seasons in the NFL, played 72 more games than Willis and has 784 more total tackles. However, despite playing 5 seasons less, Willis is tied for the same number of Pro Bowl nominations, sacks and just one All-Pro nod less than Thomas.
What you do on the field in your time as a player definitely outweighs your longevity on the field, especially in a sport that is as brutal as football where the average linebacker only plays 2.97 years in the NFL according to a 2023 Statista study.
It was completely unfair of the Pro Football Hall of Fame committee to leave Thomas waiting for ten years and I hope it's something that is not repeated again for current players.
I think a lot about former Oakland Raiders players/coaches such as Ken Stabler, Ray Guy, Cliff Branch and Tom Flores who had to wait until after their deaths or into old age to receive the honor of officially being named one of the NFL greats.
NFL players who gave it their all shouldn’t have to grow old or die in order to get the recognition that they deserve.
So when the time comes tonight to see a new hall of fame class being announced, I hope to see players such as Devin Hester, Julius Peppers and Reggie Wayne rightfully take their place in Canton, Ohio. But please make sure that Willis is saved a spot next to them.
Nothing would make me happier as a long time 49ers fan than to have two things to hopefully celebrate come Sunday night.
