SEC Football history: 50 best players of all time
By Brad Weiss
841. . LB. Rebels . Patrick Willis. 27. player
27. Best SEC football players of all time: Patrick Willis, Ole Miss football
Only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Patrick Williams arrived at Ole Miss with something to prove. Over the course of the next four college football seasons, he would do just that, becoming one of the more dominant linebackers in the storied history of SEC Football.
From 2003 through 2006, Willis patrolled the defense for the Rebels, becoming an honorable mention All-SEC player as a sophomore. The following year, he would average nearly 13 tackles per game, earning first-team All-SEC honors, and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.
He would garner that honor again as a senior, though this time, he would be a unanimous selection as an All-American. It was his second All-American honor, and he also took home some big honors, including the Jack Lambert Award and the Dick Butkus Award, given to the best linebacker in the country.
A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Willis was a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers and was one of the best defensive players in the league before retiring at only 29 years old. He was a rare blend of size and speed, could hit like a truck, and certainly got the most of his talent.