Patrick Willis became a star the second he stepped onto the football field in college. During his first extended playing time at Ole Miss, Willis notched 15 total tackles. He’d go on to have at least 13 tackles in all but two starts for the rest of the season.
After his junior season at Ole Miss, Willis put himself on the NFL’s radar. He cemented his status as a first-round talent as a senior. Willis’s tackling prowess continued, as he only had one game in the single digits as a tackler.
But the game-changing plays, such as tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles, and pass breakups, led to the consensus All-American being selected 11th overall by the San Francisco 49ers.