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Former 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis is still basking in the news of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
During an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan on Friday on Radio Row in Las Vegas, Willis detailed his emotions since finding out he became a member of the NFL’s most prestigious club.
“It’s been an incredible last 24 hours; I’m still taking it all in. I still feel like every breath I want to smile,” Willis told Maiocco and Lee Chan. “It’s really happened, it’s about time. So I’m really excited about everything that’s happened in the last 24 hours.”
When asked how he found out about his induction, Willis revealed that he was at his sister’s house setting up a basketball hoop for his nieces when he was surprised by fellow Hall of Famer Bryant Young, who broke the news to him.
“My assistant kept asking me questions like, ‘Where are you going to be?’ And I was like, ‘Why does he keep asking me all these questions like he (wants me to be) somewhere?’ He was like, ‘Hey, there’s a package coming.’ And it was my birthday, so I was there setting up the basketball goal. my niece, which I still have half-assembled in the driveway.
“I’m there preparing it and they come out and say, ‘The girls gave you something for your birthday.’
“I went to the front door and opened it and it was almost like I was watching an offense, I could see everything, and I thought, ‘Wow, it’s time.’ That’s when it hit me. I saw (Bryant Young), I saw the jacket, it was a surreal moment.”
Willis is one of the most dominant players to ever play the linebacker position, taking home All-Pro honors in six of his eight NFL seasons and earning a Pro Bowl nod in all but one of his seasons in the NFL. league.
Known for his fiery pregame speeches and uncanny ability to level opponents on the field, Willis proudly took on the role of vocal leader during a dominant 49ers run in the early 2010s that offered a generation of fans their first experience of success supporting the team.
Willis long ago secured his place as one of the most beloved figures in San Francisco’s rich sports history, but now his induction into the Hall of Fame undoubtedly reserves him a place among the greatest players to ever step on the field. of the NFL, which comes as no surprise to anyone who saw him during his time patrolling the middle of the field at Candlestick Park.
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