Twenty-six grueling hours after the start of the NFL Draft, it was Friday night in Las Vegas, and Willis was still missing a team. When the hallways weren’t his turn, or he wasn’t chatting with everyone nearby, he periodically peeked at the draft coverage on television while at the Brooklyn Bowl with more of 100 family members and friends.
Round three was halfway through when Willis rushed into the bathroom. The Steelers, Patriots, Raiders and Cardinals were the next teams to select him, but more than 80 passes had already been made to the quarterback. He didn’t think that was going to change.
As he finished washing his hands, his phone rang. Willis answered the Titans’ request in a quiet hallway outside of the chaos. They made a trade with the Raiders to advance four positions and draft Willis with the 86th pick.
They saw Willis’s courage in the face of difficulty, his composure in stressful situations, and his perspective when so many others were lost in their bewilderment.
