Willis Picks Up Two More All-America Honors
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — University of Miami redshirt senior defensive tackle Gerald Willis III added to his postseason awards list Monday, picking up second-team All-America honors from both the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America.
After a standout senior season, Willis was named a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and The Athletic last week.
A New Orleans native, Willis started all 12 games in the regular season and finished with a career-high 59 total tackles, four sacks, one fumble recovery and a whopping 18.0 tackles for loss, the most by any defensive tackle in FBS.
A midseason addition the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player, Willis posted five games with at least two tackles for loss and led the ACC in tackles for loss.
Willis’ 18 tackles for loss were the most by a Hurricane since Jacksonville Jaguars’ Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell had 20.5 in 2006. Willis was named a midseason All-America by both ESPN and The Athletic.
Willis’ selection as an All-America marks the second straight year a Hurricane has earned the honor; safety Jaquan Johnson was named a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) last December.
