Ex-Rebel Patrick Willis Tells Hilarious Story of When He Sacked Eli Manning in NFL

Former Ole Miss Rebels and NFL linebacker Patrick Willis finally got the chance to sack his former college teammate in the NFL.

November 13, 2011; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Patrick Willis (52) sacks New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) during the third quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Giants 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Patrick Willis and Eli Manning are both Ole Miss and NFL greats, but their paths crossed more than once in their respective football journeys.

Willis, a Hall of Fame linebacker, was a freshman at Ole Miss during Manning's senior year, a campaign that saw the Rebels claim a 10-3 record and win the Cotton Bowl over Oklahoma State. It was during a practice, however, that Willis got his first taste of almost sacking Manning, and his coaches weren't exactly happy with what transpired.

"My first practice, I come off the ball, and Eli drops back to pass," Willis said in a recent interview. "Working good mechanics, I act as if I'm going to swipe the ball. I'm not going to hit the ball but act as if I am. I'll never forget getting ripped by the coaches, the head coach.

"As soon as I went by them, all I heard was, 'You freshman, stay away from him! Don't you ever get close to him!'"

Still, Willis would get his chance. He played his entire NFL career for the San Francisco 49ers, and Manning spent his pro days with the New York Giants. One fateful meeting between the two players resulted in Willis taking Manning to the ground, and that moment stands out as his favorite sack while playing in the NFL.

"Fast forward, here we are playing against one another," Willis said, "and I finally get a chance to get my sack on him, and I'm like, 'Yeah, nobody here to save you now!' He would probably that [favorite] amongst the others."

Willis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, and Manning is a finalist for this year's class that will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. Both of these players also had productive years at Ole Miss, although Manning's saw more success in terms of bowl game appearances.

Manning finished his Ole Miss career with 10,119 passing yards and 81 touchdowns, breaking multiple school records along his way. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and was later traded to the New York Giants where he spent his entire pro career. He also finished third in Heisman voting in 2003 and won the Maxwell Award.

Willis saw action in an Ole Miss uniform in the 2004-06 seasons, none of which saw the Rebels reach a bowl game. Still, he tallied 265 total tackles and six sacks in that span and was selected with the 11th overall pick by the 49ers in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Once in San Francisco, Willis went on to become the franchise's all-time leader in tackles.

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