Patrick Willis

PATRICK WILLIS

NFL Legend | 7x Pro Bowl, 5x first-team Pro Bowl, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team

Pro Football Hall of Fame | 49ers, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Carroll County Halls of Fame

CEO | The Whinker’s Mind LLC and The Patrick Willis Community Fund

Author | Patrick Willis: Journey to the Hall of Fame

A legend on the field and off, Patrick Willis is considered to be one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history. His legacy cemented through football, he has turned his efforts to business and philanthropy through The Whinker’s Mind LLC, The Patrick Willis Community Fund, and as a published children’s book author.

Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, Willis played his entire eight-year career with the 49ers. He was named to the Pro Bowl in his first seven seasons in the NFL and earned All-Pro honors in his first six years, leading the team in tackles his rookie year and winning the 2007 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and the Butkus Award. Willis was also an eight-year recipient of the 49ers Community Relations Achievement Awards for his leadership on philanthropic outreach programs in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the annual Linebackers Toy Giveaway for children spending the holidays in the hospital. In 2019, Willis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and on December 18, 2021, was inducted into the 49ers Hall of Fame. Patrick is also a member of the Tennessee, Mississippi, SEC, and Carroll County Halls of Fame. In 2024, Willis cemented his on-field legacy with his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Since retiring in 2015, Willis has been active in a number of professional and philanthropic endeavors, including strategic investments in sports technology and communications platforms and, more recently, the incorporation of The Whinker’s Mind LLC. The Whinker’s Mind LLC focuses on developing resources in support of physical, mental, and intellectual strength and wellness.

On December 2, 2021, Willis announced the launch of The Whinker’s Mind Youth Fund during a dedication event in his hometown of Bruceton, Tennessee, celebrating the opening of the PWillyStyle [42] Fitness Zone [BTN]. The visit included two days of fitness clinics in the community, a hosted BBQ for first responders and community leaders, and the donation of sports equipment to the public schools serving Bruceton and the surrounding communities.

On October 22, 2022, immediately preceding the highly anticipated 110th meetup between the University of Mississippi and Louisiana State University football teams, Willis and former teammate, Eric Reid, collaborated on a second fitness zone in Baton Rouge, Louisiana - the PWillyStyle [5235] Fitness Zone [BRLA]. Built on the playfield at The Salvation Army - Baton Rouge, the opening included a touch football clinic for at-risk youth, Special Olympics athletes, and individuals completing an addiction recovery program.

Reintroduced as the Patrick Willis Community Fund (PWCF) in 2024, Willis seeks to transform communities by removing barriers and planting seeds to unleash potential and support growth in mind, body, and spirit, with programming that is rooted in the belief that where “the Will[is] to rise,” and hope is instilled, potential is infinite. In February 2026, Patrick published his first children’s book - Patrick Willis: Journey to the Hall of Fame, sharing his improbable path from Bruceton to Canton and inspiring kids to find their “door of opportunity.”