- Liberty’s Malik Willis is the #2 ranked quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft
- At the NFL Scouting Combine, Malik was asked about his focus on the things he can control and his answer makes it clear he’d be perfect for a potentially critical fanbase
- Read more NFL articles right here
The NFL Scouting Combine is taking place this week. This is the annual event where NFL Draft prospects are interviewed and evaluated by teams in both traditional and truly bizarre ways. Liberty quarterback Malik Willis is there and a quote from him signals that he’s already prepared for a big market NFL team whose fans come down hard on quarterbacks.
The 2022 NFL Draft crop of quarterbacks is widely considered to be one of the thinnest groups in years. Matt Corral of Ole Miss is the top-ranked QB prospect and he’s ranked 20th amongst prospects at all positions followed by Liberty quarterback Malik Willis at #21 overall (according to CBS Sports).
Would both of those quarterbacks love to be ranked in the top 5 picks? Sure. But speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Malik Willis made it clear his focus is only on the things he can control.
Latest Quotes From Liberty Quarterback Malik Willis About Haters
An attitude like this of being able to block out criticism would be a PERFECT fit for NFL teams who haven’t had much success in recent years and whose quarterbacks take a lot of criticism from the fans.
“Somebody’s always gonna think you’re trash. Everybody’s gonna have an opinion of you, so if you focus so hard on whatever everybody’s opinion is of you, you’re never gonna be happy. I want to be happy, so I’m not gonna think about it. You can say what you want to. I’m going to let the opinion of people I trust and can respect affect me.”
Liberty’s Malik Willis: “Everybody’s going to have an opinion of you but if you care about their opinions, you’re not going to be happy. I want to be happy, so I’m going to worry about what I can control.” pic.twitter.com/Tsna7EWwwS
— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) March 2, 2022
Liberty QB Malik Willis with a great out of context quote that applies broadly to being on Twitter. “Somebody always is gonna think you’re trash.”
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) March 2, 2022
I simply cannot overstate how healthy of an outlook on life that is to have if you are someone who is able to get comfortable with it and accept that you can’t control everyone’s perceptions and opinions of you. It took me almost a decade to stop reading every negative comment or email I get from someone who’s angry about something or nothing.
The latest projections I’ve seen have Malik Willis going to the Denver Broncos. That will be a great position for him to learn from Aaron Rodgers for a few seasons and get two Super Bowl rings before he even has to take a snap in the NFL.
A Fit For The Steelers?
I can’t recall a time when I saw a potential NFL Draft pick saying he wouldn’t be a good fit for a team. This is pretty wild to see:
Malik Willis says he’s talked with a lot of teams here, including the Steelers coaches.
Says he doesn’t know if he’d be a good fit for the Steelers. pic.twitter.com/85QuWVAVfO
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 2, 2022
Then again, Malik Willis seems to tell it like it is:
Malik Willis has a Najee Harris-like presence in this media availability.
After he’s asked lengthy question, he started his answer with: “that was a long question.”
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 2, 2022
To all of the Steelers and Broncos fans out there, would you want your team to draft Malik Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft or nah? Let me know what you think on Twitter!