NFL quarterback prospect Malik Willis brings ‘as soon as in a lifetime’ professional day to Liberty

LYNCHBURG, Va. — Ralph Wilson, higher often called “Chopper” on the Ninth Road Parlor, simply completed giving Liberty College soccer coach Hugh Freeze a shave and haircut. The 56-year-old barber needed the coach to look particularly good for what he insisted was the largest day this city, greatest often called the house of tv evangelist Jerry Falwell Sr., has seen in his lifetime.

Perhaps ever.

“It’ll blow,” Chopper mentioned late Monday afternoon. “MAAA-an, it will blow!”

Chopper was speaking about professional day at Liberty College, which, till Tuesday, barely drew a blip on the NFL radar. As an alternative of the standard eight to 10 scouts, barely sufficient to run the broad assortment of drills, 120 NFL coaches, scouts and entrance workplace personnel will likely be on campus.

As an alternative of getting one or two gamers hopeful of being a late-round decide or an undrafted pickup, 19 will likely be on show.

All 32 NFL groups will likely be represented, however some greater than others. The Carolina Panthers, who’ve the No. 6 total decide and are in search of a quarterback, will likely be out in full pressure with basic supervisor Scott Fitterer, head coach Matt Rhule, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and others, simply as they had been on Monday in Pittsburgh for quarterback Kenny Pickett.

ESPN and NFL Community will do dwell exhibits from the campus outlined by the Blue Ridge Mountains.

They’re will all right here due to one participant: senior quarterback Malik Willis, whose never-before-seen-talent in these components has put Liberty on the NFL map in methods few, if any, ever imagined.

Even town supervisor has known as providing help.

“I do not suppose I can quantify [what this day means],” Freeze mentioned. “I simply know it is big.”

‘That is monumental’

The varsity has spent weeks getting ready for the professional day, an occasion they barely invested a number of days up to now. Chopper, who half-jokingly claims he appears to be like like a mix of Magic Johnson and George Foreman, says it is all individuals within the parlor have talked about because it grew to become obvious Willis may very well be a first-round decide — maybe top 10 — within the April draft.

It reminds Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw of when Robert Griffin III (the No. 2 total decide in 2012) had his professional day at Baylor when McCaw was the AD there. He known as that the turning level of that program due to the publicity.

McCaw mentioned Tuesday was a fair larger for Liberty, calling it a “as soon as in a lifetime occasion,” just like the Tremendous Bowl coming to this sleepy city by the James River.

Griffin, now an analyst for ESPN, agreed. He reminded that Baylor was in a significant convention and had a soccer historical past that Liberty would not as an FBS Impartial.

RGIII by no means even heard of Liberty earlier than McCaw got here right here in 2016, and even then, he did not pay it a lot consideration earlier than Willis arrived in 2019 as a switch from Auburn.

“I assumed Liberty was just a few writing on the Statue of Liberty,” Griffin mentioned with amusing. “We have all come to know extra about it due to Malik Willis. Now the complete NFL neighborhood, the complete world goes to learn about it.”

Javon Hubbard, the NFL liaison for Liberty soccer, hopes so. He oversaw preparation of the amenities and deliberate each element for the arrival of this “who’s who” group from the league.

Liberty has had just one first-round decide in its historical past — tight finish Eric Green, 21st total to Pittsburgh in 1990. Since then, no participant has been picked greater than the fourth spherical, and solely three gamers have been drafted in any respect throughout that point.

Fortuitously for Hubbard, the amenities rival these of most main soccer applications, beginning with a state-of-the-art indoor facility, the place a lot of the drills had been held. In order that half wasn’t troublesome.

The remainder has been like drawing up a blueprint for a brand new home. He is gone from having a number of members of the soccer workers and the communications division placing on the occasion to having the complete athletic division at his disposal.

It is all arms on deck. All different football-related actions for the day had been canceled, though the crew is in the midst of spring follow.

Everybody desires to get the message out to those that by no means have been on campus that the model of soccer and amenities listed below are higher than perceived nationally.

That, in flip, may assist persuade extra gamers with Willis’ expertise to decide on Liberty.

“That is monumental,” Hubbard mentioned.

Perspective

In his barbershop, Chopper remembered vividly when coach Freeze sat in his leather-based chair in 2019 and talked a couple of child he was bringing in who had tried solely 14 passes in 15 video games at Auburn. He remembered Freeze saying the child did not understand how good he was.

However Freeze advised him that day the child was particular and would change Liberty’s program.

That was obvious on Tuesday.

“It is an unprecedented brand-building alternative,” McCaw mentioned.

In some methods, Freeze says Tuesday is larger than his 2016 class at Ole Miss that had three gamers — deal with Laremy Tunsil (No. 13), broad receiver Laquon Treadwell (23) and defensive deal with Robert Nkemdiche (29) — go within the first spherical.

That is as a result of first-rounders, and even nice tales, weren’t new to Ole Miss. In 2009, the story about left deal with Michael Oher, chosen No. 23 by Baltimore two years earlier, grew to become a Hollywood hit within the film “The Blind Facet.”’

However Willis, due to the exposure he brings, is bringing publicity to most of the different gamers who could have been ignored had he not turn into a star.

“I took an image [on Monday], not simply with Malik however with of all the opposite guys — some, I believe, are going to shock some individuals and have an opportunity to get on rosters and do effectively,” Freeze mentioned.

Griffin, who was Willis’ mentor on the NFL mix final month, mentioned that is the mindset he had in 2012. Because the second total decide by the Washington Commanders that 12 months, Griffin mentioned he participated in Baylor’s professional day to assist the inventory of others, not himself.

“Malik’s doing it for a similar motive,” Griffin mentioned. “He desires to shine a light-weight on all the opposite gamers at Liberty, to indicate NFL groups they’ve expertise there.

“Which means loads as a result of it exhibits me he will get it.”

Far-reaching influence

Between spring follow and getting ready for professional day, Freeze had little time to loosen up the previous month. Chopper took care of that for about an hour and a half in his barber’s chair.

“He was simply loud night breathing,” he mentioned.

Tuesday was broad open, starting with check-ins at 9 a.m. and weight room testing at 10 a.m.

The schedule requires Willis, who led Liberty to a 17-6 file whereas passing for for five,107 yards and 47 touchdowns in two seasons, to not carry out till 1 p.m. so he did not steal the highlight early.

However Willis, thought-about undersize at 6-foot and 225 kilos, will steal the highlight on draft day. The Panthers are taking a look at him as a chance, simply as they’re Pickett.

They’re looking for a franchise quarterback after failing to make a commerce final week for the Houston Texans‘ Deshaun Watson, who selected the Cleveland Browns over the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Panthers.

The New York Giants, (Nos. 5 and seven), and Atlanta Falcons, (No. 8), additionally may look to draft a quarterback within the first spherical. The Seattle Seahawks (No. 9), Commanders (No.11), Philadelphia Eagles (Nos. 15, 16 and 19), and Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 20) even have long-term questions at quarterback.

Chopper and his clients attempt day by day to determine the place Willis will land. They can not wait to have fun the primary spherical with a “actually chilly beer” on the reverse finish of the Ninth Road Parlor.

Griffin believes whoever selects Willis will get a “particular expertise” who can beat you together with his arm and legs, significantly when safety breaks down. He believes that crew additionally will get a particular particular person, reminding that Willis was captured on social media giving a homeless person a shirt from his suitcase whereas on the mix.

However Tuesday, Griffin famous, was all about what Willis has completed for Liberty.

“That is going to work wonders for this college,” he mentioned. “Liberty goes to really feel the advantages of Malik Willis for the following 10 years.”