LB

Patrick Willis

Class of 2024

Pro Bowls

7

NFL All-Decade Team

2010's

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year

2007

All-Pro

5

Patrick Willis joined the San Francisco 49ers as the team’s first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was the No. 11 pick overall and first linebacker chosen.

Given Willis’s college accolades, the high draft slot came as little surprise. He had been named an All-American following his standout senior year at the University of Mississippi. That season, he won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award and both the Butkus Award and the Jack Lambert Award as the nation's top collegiate linebacker.

With the 49ers, Willis stepped into the starting lineup as a rookie and made an immediate impact. He totaled 174 tackles (according to Pro Football Reference), four sacks and eight tackles for loss. He also forced two fumbles and defensed five passes. For his efforts, he earned the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award from the Associated Press, was named a first-team All-Pro and was the only rookie defensive player invited to the Pro Bowl — his first of seven consecutive selections to that game in an injury-shortened eight-year career.

Willis continued to build his reputation and resume in 2008 and came back in 2009 with perhaps his best overall season statistically: 152 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, eight pass deflections and career-bests with three interceptions and 13 tackles for loss. He won the NFL’s version of the Butkus Award, then in its second season. He also won the Bill Walsh Award as the 49ers most valuable player.

In 2011, he anchored one of the NFL’s top defenses, which set an NFL record by not allowing a rushing touchdown until Week 16. The 49ers finished 13-3, won the NFC West for first time since 2002 and reached the NFC title game. One year later, they played in the Super Bowl, with Willis contributing 10 tackles in the loss to the Ravens.

Willis finished his career with 20.5 sacks, eight interceptions and 16 forced fumbles. He was selected to the NFL’s All Decade Team of the 2010s and was a five-time AP first-team All-Pro.

  Tackles Sacks Fumbles Interceptions
Year Team G Total Solo Ast. No. FF No. Yds Avg. TD
2007 San Francisco 49ers 16 174 135 39 4.0 2 0 0 0 0
2008 San Francisco 49ers 16 141 109 32 1.0 1 1 86 86 1
2009 San Francisco 49ers 16 152 114 38 4.0 3 3 33 11 1
2010 San Francisco 49ers 15 128 101 27 6.0 2 0 0 0 0
2011 San Francisco 49ers 13 97 74 23 2.0 4 1 10 10 0
2012 San Francisco 49ers 16 120 88 32 0.5 2 2 2 1 0
2013 San Francisco 49ers 14 104 82 22 3.0 2 0 0 0 0
2014 San Francisco 49ers 6 34 29 5 0.0 0 1 0 0 0
Career total 112 950 732 218 20.5 16 8 131 16.4 2

Additional career statistics: Fumble recovery for TD — 2.

Full name: Patrick L. Willis 

Birthdate: Jan. 25, 1985

Birthplace: Bruceton, Tenn.

High school: Central (Bruceton, Tenn.) 

Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jan. 17, 2024

Other members of the Class of 2024: Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Julius Peppers.

Pro career: 8 seasons, 112 games.

Drafted: First round (11th overall) in 2007 by San Francisco 49ers

Uniform numbers: 52 (San Francisco 2007-2014)

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Enshrinement is Aug. 3.