Patrick Willis’ greatness is perfectly captured in his rise to legendary status despite playing just eight seasons and making one Super Bowl appearance.
The 49ers on Tuesday posted a video on Twitter that served as a nice reminder of the greatness that roamed the middle of the 49ers’ defense for nearly a decade:
Willis finished his career with 950 tackles, 60 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 53 pass breakups, eight interceptions and 16 forced fumbles. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2007 when he led the NFL with an absurd 174 tackles.
He was the perfect modern linebacker with enough athleticism to dominate in coverage, but the physicality to take on blockers and knock ball carriers backwards.
The only downside to Willis’ career was that the 49ers weren’t very good through his first four seasons, and their brief run of three trips to the playoffs ended without a championship. Injuries limited Willis to 14 games in 2013, and six games the next year. He retired following that 2014 season.
It’s unlikely Willis winds up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because his career was relatively brief. His impact on the game and the 49ers franchise was undeniable though, and any time is a good time to remember that.
