Head coach Mike Singletary has mentioned more than a few times that he would rather have one of his players be considered the "face of the franchise" instead of him. While team insiders don't see that happening anytime soon - with Singletary making his dynamic presence felt more than ever - by far the top candidate among Niners players as the marquee attraction is third-year "Mike" LB Patrick Willis. There had been some concern about the 2007 first-round draft pick after he suffered an ankle injury in a "nutcracker" drill the first day of training camp and told team insiders he felt like he "was starting all over again" once he resumed playing late in the preseason. "But he really excelled in Week One (team-leading 13 tackles and a key early interception more than 20 yards downfield)," one daily team observer said. "His excellent speed and all-around ability against both the run and pass is what sets him apart. And nobody is a better tackler." Source: Profootballweekly.com
I was so sad when we missed this guy in the draft. I believe it was the draft after Trotter went bye bye so I had an especially large man-crush on this dude. Should be a top 5 mike for years to come.
