Arrr! Fred Willis, a swashbucklin' matey who sailed for Boston College and the NFL, be restin' in Davy Jones' locker at 75.
2023-07-09
Avast ye scurvy dogs! 'Tis with great dismay that I deliver the news o' the passin' o' Fred Willis, a fine college football star and NFL hero. His beloved alma mater, Boston College, be confirm'n this here fact. Aye, he also be the founder o' a company treatin' those cursed concussions.
Fred Willis, a former star running back at Boston College and NFL player, has passed away at the age of 75, according to his alma mater. The cause of his death remains unclear, and a funeral service has been scheduled for July 12. Willis was a standout high school football player in Massachusetts and New Hampshire before joining Boston College, where he became the school's first 1,000-yard rusher and surpassed 2,000 rushing yards in his career. He was later inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame. In 1971, Willis was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals and played one season with the team before being traded to the Houston Oilers in the middle of the 1972 season. He spent the rest of his career with the Oilers, accumulating 2,831 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Willis also founded HPN Neurologic, a concussion diagnosis and treatment company, after retiring from football. He was known for his success as a restaurateur and his contributions to the game, including his work with NFL Player Brains Matter and his advocacy for NFL players suffering from CTE. Willis is survived by his wife, Darlene, five children, two stepchildren, and their families.