Patrick Willis should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For eight seasons he was an enforcer for the San Francisco 49ers. He was drafted by a proud franchise that had fallen into disarray, and was intricate half in bringing it again to prominence. Willis did this all whereas enjoying a place of honor and glory in the NFL — center linebacker — in addition to anybody in the historical past of the league.
The semi-finalists for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class had been introduced on Tuesday, and Willis is a component of that group for the fifth time. He has additionally twice been a finalist, and for 4 years the voters have erred by not placing him into the corridor.
Modern-era gamers who’ve been inducted forward of Willis embrace LeRoy Butler, Steve Atwater, John Lynch, and Zach Thomas. Troy Polamalu completely deserved to get into the Hall of Fame in his first 12 months of eligibility, however there isn’t any means that he was a extra impactful participant than Willis.
It may be very probably that Willis retiring after solely eight seasons is why it’s taking him so lengthy to get the gold jacket that he deserves. Combine that with the incontrovertible fact that he by no means received Defensive Player of the Year, some would possibly argue that his constant excellence over a comparatively quick interval of time didn’t have sufficient pop to get him into the Hall simply but.
I suppose being talked about in the similar breath with prime Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher as a rookie is one thing that the voters have forgotten. Lewis performed 14 video games in 2007 and Urlacher was in the lineup for all 16. When the votes had been forged for first-team All-Pro center linebacker, the honor went to Willis. In reality, the former Chicago Bear turned MAGA hair restoration billboard mannequin was solely voted first-time All-Pro 4 instances. Lewis performed for 17 years and acquired the honor seven instances.
Willis was a first-team All-Pro 5 instances, 4 years in a row from 2009-12. For the majority of his NFL profession, there was no debate as to who was the greatest center linebacker in the NFL. With these accolades even when Willis performed solely 5 seasons he should nonetheless be in Canton.
The purpose of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is to be a museum that honors the very best gamers in the historical past of skilled soccer, the gamers who should be talked about when discussing the historical past of the sport
Some of the names who’ve gone in forward of Willis, Deion Sanders was proper a couple of years in the past when he stated that his bust doesn’t belong in the similar room with them. Being an excellent, and even merely a dominant participant should not be sufficient to get somebody into the Hall. The gamers enshrined should be amongst the greatest of their period. Their names should be talked about when discussing the biggest to ever play at their positions.
Willis was that kind of nice. He was a positive and punishing tackler, who gave blockers suits. He was the anchor to a protection that will ultimately grow to be one of the high models in the NFL. Not solely did he carry the ache, however he additionally possessed the degree of athleticism essential to play in the center of a protection throughout the twenty first century. Shedding lead blockers and cracking operating backs will all the time be essential, however enjoying center linebackers requires a capability to make performs in cross protection. Willis tallied eight interceptions in his profession, and had two seasons with 10 or extra passes defended.
In any dialog about the greatest center linebacker of all time, his identify deserves to be talked about. Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary, Lewis, and Urlacher, a reliable argument can be made that Willis is healthier than all of them.
That is the kind of participant for whom the Pro Football Hall of Fame was constructed to honor. For some purpose voters simply haven’t gotten round to placing him there.
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