GGOATRANK
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American Football · Linebacker · United States

Patrick Willis

2007–2014 · Seven-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Fame linebacker at the heart of San Francisco's defence.

Retired
Ranking model

100% titles, statistics, dominance, longevity and global competition depth.

Pure sporting data
82.2
Cultural & brand footprint 52/100 · total legacy 71.1
Pro Bowl selections
7
First-team All-Pro selections
5
Career tackles
950
Defensive Rookie of the Year awards
1
Super Bowl appearances
1

Category profile

Dominance
82
Peak
92
Longevity
68
Honours
84
Statistics
86

Career timeline · Touchdowns per season

SeasonTouchdowns per seasonShare of career
2007174
2008141
2009152
2010128
201197
2012120
201378
201421

Data sources

  • NFL.com
  • Pro Football Reference
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame

Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method

Why Patrick Willis ranks #151 in American Football

Patrick Willis ranks 151st among American Football athletes on GOAT Rank and 1624th of 2289 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 82.2 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 82, Peak 92, Longevity 68, Honours 84, Statistics 86. Those categories are normalised against the full American Football reference universe of 381 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.

The record covers 2007–2014 with 8 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 2007, which sets the Peak component at 92. Peak is the defining strength of the profile at 92 out of 100, and it carries 20% of the final score. The underlying career record includes pro bowl selections 7, first-team all-pro selections 5, career tackles 950, defensive rookie of the year awards 1.

Immediately ahead sits T.Y. Hilton on 82.2, a gap of 0.0 points. Directly behind is Les Richter on 82.0. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.

Patrick Willis GOAT Score explained

Dominance82/100 · weight 25%
Measures how far Willis stood above the field while competing. Scored 82/100 against the full American Football cohort.
Peak92/100 · weight 20%
Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 2007. Scored 92/100.
Longevity68/100 · weight 20%
Rewards staying at that level over time: 7 years of competition and 8 recorded seasons. Scored 68/100.
Honours84/100 · weight 20%
Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 84/100.
Statistics86/100 · weight 15%
Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 86/100.

Patrick Willis — frequently asked

Is Patrick Willis the GOAT?
Not on the current data. Patrick Willis ranks 151st in American Football with a GOAT Score of 82.2, behind Tom Brady on 97.2.
What is Patrick Willis's GOAT Score?
82.2 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 82 (25%), Peak 92 (20%), Longevity 68 (20%), Honours 84 (20%), Statistics 86 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
Where does Patrick Willis rank all time?
1624th of 2289 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 151st within American Football.
Patrick Willis vs T.Y. Hilton: who ranks higher?
Patrick Willis, on 82.2 against T.Y. Hilton's 82.2 — a margin of 0.0 points.
Compare with Brady