Fred Willis

For the rugby league footballer of the 1920s for Wales, and Batley, see Frederick Willis (rugby league).
Fred Willis
Position: Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1947-12-09) December 9, 1947
Place of birth: Natick, Massachusetts
Career information
College: Boston College
NFL Draft: 1971 / Round: 4 / Pick: 93
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Touchdowns: 23
Yards Rushing: 2831
Yards Receiving: 1380

Fred Willis (born December 9, 1947) is a retired American football running back who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Oilers.[1]

Early life

Willis grew up in Natick, Massachusetts and attended Marian High School in Framingham, Massachusetts and Kimball Union Academy where he was an All-American Prep School player... He starred in football as well as in hockey, where he was a forward who led the team to an undefeated season, a league title, and the state tournament. He considered football and hockey scholarship offers from Michigan State University and the University of Notre Dame, but decided to attend Boston College.[2]

College career

Willis played football at Boston College. A halfback, he established a career rushing mark with 2,115 yards in three varsity seasons. He was the first Eagles' running back to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a single season when he totaled 1,107 his senior year. He was voted All-America and All-East his senior season of 1970, and played in the postsseason all-star Senior Bowl and Blue-Gray Game.[3] He was also a top 6 forward for the Eagles' hockey team.

He was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977.[4]

Professional career

Willis was drafted in the fourth round (93rd overall) of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.[5] He posted similar statistics in each of his six years in the NFL, but during his rookie year of 1971, in which he played all 14 games, starting six at fullback, he had 593 rushing yards (a career best) on 135 attempts (a career-best 4.4 average) while scoring a career-best seven touchdowns. He also had 24 receptions for 223 yards (a 9.3 average).[6]

In 1972, he played and started in the Bengals' first five games. On October 24, 1972 Willis was traded, along with fellow running back Paul Robinson, to the Houston Oilers for wide receiver Charlie Joiner and linebacker Ron Pritchard.[7][8] For the Oilers, he played eight games, starting seven at fullback. His combined totals for both teams were 461 yards on 134 attempts (a 3.4 average) but he was especially effective receiving out of the backfield with 45 receptions for 297 yards (a 6.6 average) and two touchdowns.

In 1973, he started all 14 games, with 579 yards rushing on a career-high 171 attempts (a 3.4 average) and four touchdowns with career highs of 57 receptions and 371 yards (a 6.5 average) and one touchdown.[9]

In 1974 his playing time went down as he played 10 games (with no starts) with 239 yards rushing in 74 attempts (a 3.2 average) and three touchdowns, with 25 receptions for 132 yards (a 5.2 average) and one touchdown.

He rebounded in 1975 with four starts in 13 games and 420 rushing yards on 118 attempts (a 3.6 average) and two touchdowns, along with 20 receptions for 104 yards (a 5.2 average).

His final year with the Oilers and in the NFL was 1976, but his production went up. He started in 12 of 13 games, with 542 yards in 148 attempts (a 3.7 average) and two touchdowns along with 32 receptions for 255 yards (an 8.0 average) and one touchdown.[10]

Willis was the first running back in the history of the NFL to win the pass receiving title.

Fred Willis was a union representative and Executive Board member for the National Football League Players Association.

Personal life

Fred Willis is a dedicated and tireless worker on behalf of Retired NFL Players with Dementia/Neurocognitive disorders from concussions received during their playing careers, Mr. Willis over the last 3 years has assisted retired players in securing the benefits of the 88 Plan and the NFL Concussion Lawsuit from suffering dementia. He is passionate to solve the sports concussion crisis in America and is the Founder, President and CEO of HPN Neurologic, in 2012 he established the "cost free" to Retired NFL players HPN Neurologic Clinical Treatment Trial Studies to deal with an emerging legacy of the National Football League and generation of retired NFL Players with traumatic brain Injury (TBI). The nature of these injuries are complicated and pose significant rehabilitation challenges. These, symptoms at first technically mild, though significant, head injuries were often overlooked during active playing days, and it has become painfully apparent that following release from the NFL the debilitating effects of TBI have continued. The HPN Neurologic Clinical Treatment Trial Studies have shown significant clinical improvement in Retired NFL Players with the symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome, TBI/CTE.

Fred Willis is a proud brain donor VA-BU-SLI Brain Bank and is a fierce, tireless, and passionate and some say overbearing fighter on behalf of the movement for former retired NFL Players suffering the symptoms of TBI/CTE. Through his continued advocacy, treatment and accumulating trial study data and exhaustive work ethic and ground-breaking representation, Fred has raised the issue of TBI/CTE into the national consciousness and is changing how sports are played and changing the face of TBI/CTE. Fred and his HPN Neurologic medical diagnostic and research team's clinical trials are being carried on in cities throughout the United States. Fred's leadership in this field has made him a force and sought-after voice for TBI/CTE awareness, and he has shared his story and work at corporations, medical conferences, schools, and sports organizations.

In 2012, he filed a lawsuit against the NFL claiming that repeated blows to the head and concussions have led to memory loss and dementia.[11][12][13]

Mr Willis is very passionate about his sport injuries and has made a case to the NFL for what has happened to him through the career he chose. He currently lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts and is married to his wife Darlene.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillFr00.htm
  2. ↑ http://newspapers.bc.edu/cgi-bin/bostonsh?a=d&d=bcheights19691021.2.71
  3. ↑ http://www.bceagles.com/genrel/willis_fred00.html
  4. ↑ http://www.bceagles.com/genrel/willis_fred00.html
  5. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillFr00.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillFr00.htm
  7. ↑ http://www.700wlw.com/pages/lancesBlog.html?article=11919681
  8. ↑ http://boards.bengals.com/showthread.php?t=118634
  9. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillFr00.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillFr00.htm
  11. ↑ http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/massmarkets/2012/07/20/former-pro-football-player-from-salem-joins-a-long-list-of-plaintiffs-suing-the-nfl-over-head-injuries/
  12. ↑ http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2012/07/fred-willis-nfl-head-injury-lawsuit.html
  13. ↑ http://www.patriotledger.com/x1052260420/Retired-Mass-pro-football-player-sues-the-NFL-over-injuries
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