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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Patience=Patrick Willis
11/3/2006 | Football
Assistant Director, Athletics Media Relations
In a day in age when the search for instant gratification is the norm, and the average American is rarely willing to wait for a good thing, senior linebacker Patrick Willis has displayed an admirable amount of patience throughout his career with the Ole Miss Rebels.
A 2005 All-America selection and candidate for numerous national awards this season, Willis waited until his junior year to break into the starting lineup and then chose to wait for his chance to enter the professional ranks by returning to Ole Miss for his senior campaign.
It would be hard for anyone to pass up the kind of financial stability that would come from being an early-round draft pick in the National Football League, but Willis did just that, and for a variety of reasons.
"I just wanted to enjoy this senior year as a student and as a college football player," said the 2006 Chucky Mullins Courage Award recipient. "I've enjoyed playing football with my teammates again. After not having a healthy season like I wanted to (last year) and also being projected as a third-round draft pick, I felt like I was better than that. I hope when it's all said and done this year that I can prove that."
After leading the nation in solo tackles a year ago and ranking first in the Southeastern Conference in total tackles, Willis has again shown his knack for getting to the football this year. He leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally with 10.8 total tackles per game and ranks second in the nation with 7.25 solo tackles per contest.
Willis has recently been named a semifinalist for such prestigious national awards as the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best collegiate linebacker, and the Rotary Lombardi Award, presented to a top lineman who exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi. Despite the Rebels' under-.500 record, Willis said he's happy with his choice to return to Ole Miss.
"I'm totally satisfied with my decision to come back," he said. "I enjoy waking up each morning playing college football. As far as my performance, I've done alright so far, not where I'd love to be at. But that's part of college football; it's part of the game. You have to keep working and play to the end. That's where I'm at right now."
Not only has Willis continued to be an all-star performer individually, he has relished the opportunity to lead the Rebels as one of two permanent team captains, along with offensive lineman Andrew Wicker.
"I think the leadership this year has been outstanding," Willis said. "We haven't won as many games as we wanted to so far, but just being able to come out here each Monday after a loss and motivate these guys, talk to them and get them going on the practice field, I think that's been good."
One of the main factors in Willis' decision to return was to earn his college degree. He is currently on track to graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, being just three credits shy of graduating a semester early in December.
"(Academics) was one of the main things," said Willis. "Although I love to play this great game of football, but it's not guaranteed that I'm going to go pro after this, and it's not even guaranteed that I'm going to have tomorrow to play another down of football, so you have to have something to fall back on. And we all know the big thing in the world today is having an education, a degree to fall back on. That was one of the most important factors."
While so many modern-day athletes jump at the chance for instant glory, Willis has worked on securing a solid foundation of learning about life and football before possibly jumping ahead too early. His difficult childhood has been well-documented, and Willis has admirably not used that as an excuse to forego a college degree when so many others in his situation might have done so.
It doesn't hurt that Willis has dominated opposing offenses and perhaps earned his place in Rebel lore as the most heralded defensive player in Ole Miss football history.
Whether his physical tools as a speedy 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker will be put to use in the NFL, or he will draw on his college degree and enthusiasm for community service to contribute as an everyday citizen, or both, Willis is sure to prove himself an exceptional graduate of the University of Mississippi and Ole Miss Football.
