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 | ||||||||||||||||
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| 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) | ||||||||||||||||
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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 on May 25, 1999, is a professional American football player. He plays as a quarterback 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. While at Liberty, he won the 2020 Dudley Award. The Tennessee Titans picked him in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. In 2024, he was traded to the Packers.
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Early Life and High School Football
Malik Willis grew up in Georgia. He first went to Westlake High School in Atlanta. For his last year of high school, he moved to Roswell High School in Roswell, Georgia. During his senior year, he showed off his skills by throwing for over 2,500 yards. He also ran for more than 1,000 yards. In total, he scored 37 touchdowns that year. After high school, he decided to play college football at Auburn University.
College Football Career
Playing for Auburn
Willis spent two years, 2017 and 2018, playing for the Auburn Tigers. He played in 15 games during this time. He completed 11 passes for 69 yards and scored one touchdown. He also ran for 309 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Transferring to Liberty
In 2019, Willis transferred to Liberty University. He had to sit out the 2019 season because of transfer rules. This meant he couldn't play in games that year.
In 2020, Willis 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. He was recognized as the best college football player in Virginia in 2020, winning the Dudley Award. In 2021, he also received the Bobby Bowden Award. This award goes to a college football player who is a great Christian student-athlete. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in two bowl games: the 2020 Cure Bowl and the 2021 LendingTree Bowl.
College Statistics Summary
During his college career, Malik Willis played 35 games, starting 23 of them. He completed 388 passes for 5,176 yards and 48 touchdowns. He also showed his strong running ability, rushing for 2,131 yards and scoring 29 rushing touchdowns. His best year was 2021 at Liberty, where he threw for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also ran for 878 yards and 13 touchdowns that season.
Professional Football 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. On July 23, 2022, he signed his first professional contract, which was for four years.
Willis played his first NFL game in Week 2 of the 2022 season. This happened when the Titans played against the Buffalo Bills. He completed one pass for six yards and ran for 16 yards. In Week 8, he got his first start as a quarterback. He helped the Titans win 17–10 against the Houston Texans. He also started in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 16, he started again against the Texans.
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 to get him.
Soon after joining the Packers, Willis became the starting quarterback. This happened because Jordan Love, the usual starter, got injured. In his first game as a Packers starter, Willis completed 12 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 a touchdown. He also led the team in rushing with 73 yards and a rushing touchdown. This helped the Packers beat his old team, the Tennessee Titans, 30–14.
NFL Career Statistics Summary
Malik Willis has played 18 NFL games, starting 5 of them. He has completed 75 passes for 900 yards and 3 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the 2024 season with the Packers, he completed 74.1% of his passes for 550 yards and 3 touchdowns in 7 games.
Personal Life
Malik Willis has a family connection to the NFL. His uncle, James Anderson, played as a linebacker in the NFL for 10 years.
Willis is a Christian and was raised in the Christian faith. He often ends his social media posts with "TGFE," which means "Thank God for Everything."
