Malik Willis facts for kids
Willis with the Tennessee Titans in 2022
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| No. 2 – Green Bay Packers | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | May 25, 1999 College Park, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Roswell (Roswell, Georgia) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: |
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| NFL Draft: | 2022 / Round: 3 / Pick: 86 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||||
Malik Antonio Willis (born May 25, 1999) is an American professional football quarterback. He plays for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Auburn Tigers and Liberty Flames. He won the 2020 Dudley Award while playing for Liberty. The Tennessee Titans picked him in the 2022 NFL draft. He was traded to the Packers in 2024.
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Early Life and High School Football
Malik Willis grew up in Georgia, U.S. He first went to Westlake High School in Atlanta. Later, he moved to Roswell High School for his final year. During his senior year, he was a star player. He threw for 2,562 yards and ran for 1,033 yards. He scored 37 total touchdowns that year. After high school, he decided to play college football at Auburn University.
College Football Journey
Playing for Auburn
Malik Willis started his college career at Auburn University. He played there in 2017 and 2018. During these two years, he played in 15 games. He completed 11 passes for 69 yards and scored one touchdown. He also ran for 309 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Shining at Liberty University
In 2019, Willis moved to Liberty University. He had to sit out one season due to transfer rules. In 2020, he became the starting quarterback for Liberty. He had an amazing game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. In that game, he threw six touchdowns and ran for another one.
Willis received several important awards at Liberty. He won the 2020 Dudley Award. This award goes to the best college football player in Virginia. He also won the 2021 Bobby Bowden Award. This award honors a college football player who shows strong Christian values. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in two bowl games: the 2020 Cure Bowl and the 2021 LendingTree Bowl.
College Stats Overview
Malik Willis's college football statistics are shown below:
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
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| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2017 | Auburn | 7 | 0 | 0–0 | 6 | 7 | 85.7 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 186.9 | 16 | 221 | 13.8 | 1 |
| 2018 | Auburn | 5 | 0 | 0–0 | 5 | 7 | 71.4 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 100.2 | 12 | 88 | 7.3 | 1 |
| 2019 | Liberty | did not play due to NCAA transfer rules | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | Liberty | 10 | 10 | 9–1 | 170 | 265 | 64.2 | 2,250 | 20 | 6 | 155.8 | 141 | 944 | 6.7 | 14 |
| 2021 | Liberty | 13 | 13 | 8–5 | 207 | 339 | 61.1 | 2,857 | 27 | 12 | 151.1 | 197 | 878 | 4.5 | 13 |
| Career | 35 | 23 | 17–6 | 388 | 618 | 62.8 | 5,176 | 48 | 18 | 152.9 | 366 | 2,131 | 5.8 | 29 | |
Professional NFL Career
Joining the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans picked Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. He was the 86th player chosen overall. Some experts thought he might be picked much earlier. He signed his first professional contract with the Titans on July 23, 2022.
Willis played his first NFL game in Week 2 of the 2022 season. He came into the game against the Buffalo Bills. He completed one pass for six yards and ran for 16 yards. In Week 8, he started his first NFL game against the Houston Texans. He helped the Titans win 17–10. He also started in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Moving to the Green Bay Packers
On August 26, 2024, Malik Willis was traded to the Green Bay Packers. The Packers gave up a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft for him.
Just weeks after joining the Packers, Willis became the starting quarterback. This happened because the main quarterback, Jordan Love, got injured. In his first start for the Packers, Willis played very well. He completed 12 of 14 passes for 122 yards. He also threw his first career touchdown pass. He added 41 rushing yards, helping the Packers win 16–10 against the Indianapolis Colts.
In his next start, he threw for 202 yards and another touchdown. He also led the team in rushing with 73 yards and a rushing touchdown. This game was a 30–14 victory against his former team, the Tennessee Titans. Later in the season, he again led the Packers to a game-winning drive in Week 8. This happened after Jordan Love left the game with an injury.
NFL Stats Overview
Malik Willis's professional NFL statistics are shown below:
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacked | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2022 | TEN | 8 | 3 | 1–2 | 31 | 61 | 50.8 | 276 | 4.5 | 48 | 0 | 3 | 42.8 | 27 | 123 | 4.6 | 17 | 1 | 10 | 49 | 3 | 2 |
| 2023 | TEN | 3 | 0 | — | 4 | 5 | 80.0 | 74 | 14.8 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 118.8 | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | GB | 7 | 2 | 2–0 | 40 | 54 | 74.1 | 550 | 10.2 | 51 | 3 | 0 | 124.8 | 20 | 138 | 6.9 | 29 | 1 | 8 | 37 | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 18 | 5 | 3–2 | 75 | 120 | 62.5 | 900 | 7.5 | 51 | 3 | 3 | 83.3 | 52 | 282 | 5.4 | 29 | 2 | 22 | 116 | 5 | 4 | |
Beyond the Field: Personal Life
Malik Willis has a family connection to the NFL. His uncle, James Anderson, played as an NFL linebacker for 10 years.
Willis was raised as a Christian and continues to practice his faith. He often ends his social media posts with "TGFE." This stands for "Thank God for Everything."
