Willis’ Pro Career Just Getting Started

By Jay Gonzales ꟾ Rattlers Media

It was nearly a dream come true for Don Willis when he got the call from his hometown NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, with an invitation to their rookie mini-camp last summer.

Willis grew up in Cleveland, and after a college career at the University of Minnesota and Western Michigan, he got to wear the Browns uniform for a few days. But alas, a spot on the roster was not to be.

"It was the best thing that could have ever happened," Willis said of the experience. "Being from Cleveland, a lot of people supported me. I felt like I had a good camp. They just had a couple of linebackers in front of me."

Still, Willis believed in himself and in his skills as a football player to launch a pro career which he has now with the Arizona Rattlers.

The 6-1, 220-pound linebacker joined the Rattlers at midseason as they headed for the first IFL cup in New Jersey in mid-May. He got the start linebacker and has been in the lineup for every game but one since then.

"One day, my agent called me and said that Arizona Rattlers were interested, and I wanted to play football," Willis said as the Rattlers prepared for the New Mexico Chupacabras this week. "I feel like I'm a talented player. I feel like I can be versatile for a lot of teams,"

Joining the team in the middle of season, Willis realized that his college career prepared him well for the upcoming experience in a new type of game – indoor football – at the professional level.

He played three years in the Big 10 Conference with the Minnesota Golden Gophers and finished his college career playing two years at Western Michigan. He started all 13 games his senior season and was a third-team All Mid-American Conference selection.

"Being at Minnesota taught me a lot about being detail oriented," Willis said. "I really didn't have a problem with the (indoor) rules. I like the smaller field. I believe myself to be a pretty fast guy."

As a newcomer, too, Willis said he's been able to blend right in with his teammates, something that translates to the field where, as a linebacker, he has some leadership responsibilities and needs to be vocal.

"The guys are building a bond off the field, and that's where it really comes in," he said, "so that when I'm on the field, the guys listen to me. I help them, they help me."

Heading into the final stretch of the season, Willis said, attention to detail is going to determine the Rattlers playoff fate. It's safe to say that area has been lacking as the Rattlers try to come out of a two-game skid.

"We've just be more detail-oriented," he said. "Take every play one-by-one, no mental errors, and not have so many flags."

After that, Willis said, he'll see where football takes him.

"I want to finish up here, go win that championship and hopefully I get another opportunity," Willis said. "I do want to prolong my career. I'm still a young guy."