Odell Willis
| No. 41 Edmonton Eskimos | |
| Date of birth | December 28, 1984 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Meridian, Mississippi |
| Career information | |
| Status | Active |
| CFL status | International |
| Position(s) | DE |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| College | West Georgia |
| NFL draft | 2008 / Undrafted |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2007 | Spokane Shock |
| 2008 | Peoria Pirates |
| 2008 | Green Bay Blizzard |
| 2009 | Calgary Stampeders |
| 2009–2011 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2012 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 2013–present | Edmonton Eskimos |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL All-Star | 2011, 2014 |
| CFL East All-Star | 2011 |
| CFL West All-Star | 2014 |
| Career stats | |
| |
Odell Willis (born December 28, 1984) is a professional American and Canadian football defensive lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Peoria Pirates as a street free agent in 2007. He played college football for the West Georgia Wolves.
Willis has also played for the Spokane Shock, Green Bay Blizzard, Calgary Stampeders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders .
College career
Willis played four seasons for the University of West Georgia and totaled 126 tackles, 20.5 sacks and six forced fumbles for the Braves. He was twice named an All-Gulf South Conference selection.
Professional career
AFL
In 2008, Willis played for the Peoria Pirates and the Green Bay Blizzard of Arena Football League 2
CFL
Calgary Stampeders
In 2009, Willis signed with the Calgary Stampeders where he recorded six sacks in his first nine games.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
He was then traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a package trade where he recorded another four sacks with the Blue Bombers. In his 2010 campaign, Willis started all 18 games and recorded 11 sacks. During the 2011 CFL season, Willis started all 18 games for the second consecutive year and set a new career high with 13 sacks. His performance earned him his first CFL East Division All-Star nod and recognition on his first CFL All-Star team a short while later.[1][2]
Saskatchewan Roughriders
On March 22, 2012, Willis was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for second and fourth round picks in the 2012 CFL Draft.[3] Willis recorded 6 sacks in the 2012 CFL season.
Edmonton Eskimos
After not being re-signed following one season with the Roughriders, Willis signed a three-year contract with the Edmonton Eskimos on February 15, 2013 (The first day of CFL free-agency). In his first season with the Eskimos Willis played in 13 of the 18 regular season games. He would finish the season with 22 tackles, 9 quarterback sacks and 1 fumble recovery. Willis' play improved again the following season, earning himself his second CFL All-Star award and his first CFL West All-Star award. His 13 sacks put him tied for 2nd place for most sacks on the season; he also had 32 tackles, 2 interceptions (one for a touchdown) and a fumble recovery. Following the 2014 CFL season, Willis re-signed with the Eskimos.[4]
References
- ↑ Adam Wazny (November 10, 2011). "Eight Bombers named to East Division All-Star Team". Winnipeg Free Press.
- ↑ Paul Wiecek (November 16, 2011). "Five Bombers chosen as CFL all-stars". Winnipeg Free Press.
- ↑ Riders Acquire All-Star Odell Willis From Winnipeg
- ↑ "Veteran DE Willis re-signs with Eskimos". TSN. The Canadian Press.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Odell Willis. |