Former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis was just announced as a finalist for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
After starring for his entire career with the @49ers, Patrick Willis is a Finalist for the Class of 2023! pic.twitter.com/zXyokKYSXU
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 5, 2023
By itself, it is a fairly high honor for just about any player, even if he doesn’t end up getting the final nod to be inducted.
As one of the most storied teams in the history of the NFL, the 49ers have a number of players who have been immortalized in Canton, Ohio, including Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Ronnie Lott, just to name a few.
Willis had a very strong career not too long ago with the red and gold, but is he truly deserving of his own bust in the Hall of Fame?
Willis Was The Leader Of A Very Strong Niners Squad
When San Francisco took Willis with the 11th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, it was going through arguably the darkest era in team history.
It had just missed the playoffs for four consecutive years, and it badly needed to get itself out of the wilderness.
Willis proved he was special as a rookie, leading the league in combined and solo tackles and earning Pro Bowl, All-Pro First Team and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Along with quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore, he gave the 49ers a foundational pillar that would help them return to excellence.
The return to excellence happened in the 2011 season when they hired head coach Jim Harbaugh, who remade them into a defense-first team around Willis’ talents and skills.
Let us remind you how dominant @PatrickWillis52 was.
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📱: https://t.co/iZo92mr4YH pic.twitter.com/Alhv0xQFFL— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) November 5, 2020
The Niners immediately reached the NFC Championship Game, and they reached the Super Bowl in 2012 where they narrowly fell to the Baltimore Ravens.
Willis played eight seasons, all with San Francisco, and he ended up with seven Pro Bowl and six All-Pro First-Team selections while also being the spiritual leader of its feared defense.
He may not get in on his first try, but one should expect to eventually see him get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he was a one-of-a-kind middle linebacker who played the game with extreme passion and intensity.
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