Watch 49ers legend Willis get his first look at the gold HOF jacket originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Patrick Willis’ historic football career was limited to the biggest single offering the NFL has to offer, as the 49ers legend will be enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 3rd.
Standard for all members of the elite football fraternity, Willis is the recipient of the famous gold jacket given to Hall of Fame inductees, which he saw for the first time on Saturday.
Willis spent his entire eight-year career with the 49ers after being selected 11th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.
The hard-hitting linebacker immediately established himself as one of the NFL’s top defensive stars, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a First-Team All-Pro nod during his rookie campaign after leading the league in both ground (136) and in combined tackles. (174).
Willis ended his historic career with five First-Team All-Pro selections, one Second-Team All-Pro honor and seven Pro Bowl nominations, earning a reputation as the NFL’s preeminent linebacker during his time in the league.
Beyond the accolades and statistical achievements, Willis will be remembered as the heart and soul of a beloved 49ers core that reestablished San Francisco as an NFL powerhouse after a prolonged playoff drought before his arrival.
Although the official induction ceremony isn’t until next month, Willis got a glimpse of the prestigious jacket that distinguishes him as one of football’s immortals, fitting for a player who looked larger than life every time he took to the field wearing the red. and Gold.