Peter Tom Willis
Encyclopedia
Peter Tom Willis is a former college and professional American football
quarterback
. From 1998-2008 he served as the radio
color commentator
for the Florida State University
Seminoles
, where he played his collegiate football
.
Willis currently lives in Valrico, Florida
and is an industrial buyer for Commercial Metals of Tampa.
and Mortimer Jordan High School
, Willis was inducted as a member of the Florida State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. During his successful senior year in 1989 (his first and only season as the starting
quarterback), he led the team to 10 straight victories, including an impressive 41-17 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers
in the Fiesta Bowl
. It was also during that year that he set 15 team passing records. He surpassed Seminole great, and fellow Hall of Famer, Gary Huff
to become Florida State's top single season passer with 3,124 yards. He also set the record for passes completed in a season (211), most 300-yard passing games (six), as well as touchdown passes in a game (six). Willis also set five Florida State career records including best passing efficiency at 148.5.
Willis' senior season saw the Seminoles lose their first two games before coming back with 10-straight wins over the likes of Syracuse, Auburn
, Miami
and Florida
. On a team that many considered the nation's best at year's end, Willis helped put the exclamation point on that notion with a 41-17 win over Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.
's Chicago Bears
and the Tampa Bay Storm
of the Arena Football League.
. His signature phrase was "I see you (name of player)." Following ten years of service, his contract was not renewed after the 2007-2008 football season because the Florida State administration and coaches felt he was "too critical" of the program. Head coach Bobby Bowden stood by this decision, and said "I do support it. I support it all the way."
"They felt like I was too critical of the program and the team the last few years," Willis said. "I hate that. That was not my intent. My intent was to call it like I see it for 10 years. But if people are upset with me because I was telling the truth, if that's going to upset people, maybe I shouldn't be there."
Willis is a member of the FSU Sports Hall of Fame and a former quarterback who led the Seminoles to a 10-2 record and No. 3 ranking in 1989. He was critical of the offense under former coordinator Jeff Bowden, and regretted saying that the Seminoles resembled a "high school offense" during the 2005 game at Clemson. That comment especially upset coach Bobby Bowden, according to sources. Interestingly, Willis believed that the program, with the hiring of Jimbo Fisher
was headed in the right direction.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. From 1998-2008 he served as the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, where he played his collegiate football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
.
Willis currently lives in Valrico, Florida
Valrico, Florida
Valrico is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,582 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and is an industrial buyer for Commercial Metals of Tampa.
College career
Originally from Morris, AlabamaMorris, Alabama
Morris is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area.-Geography:Morris is located at .According to the U.S...
and Mortimer Jordan High School
Mortimer Jordan High School
Mortimer Jordan High School is a public high school located in Kimberly, Alabama. It is a part of the Jefferson County Board of Education.The school was named after Captain Mortimer Harvie Jordan, a war hero who lost his life in World War I. He was a soldier, officer and physician...
, Willis was inducted as a member of the Florida State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. During his successful senior year in 1989 (his first and only season as the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback), he led the team to 10 straight victories, including an impressive 41-17 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
. It was also during that year that he set 15 team passing records. He surpassed Seminole great, and fellow Hall of Famer, Gary Huff
Gary Huff
Gary Earl Huff , who graduated from Leto Senior High School in Tampa, Florida and played college football and baseball at Florida State University, was a professional football quarterback. He was an All-American at FSU, where he led the nation in touchdown passes in 1971 and 1972...
to become Florida State's top single season passer with 3,124 yards. He also set the record for passes completed in a season (211), most 300-yard passing games (six), as well as touchdown passes in a game (six). Willis also set five Florida State career records including best passing efficiency at 148.5.
Willis' senior season saw the Seminoles lose their first two games before coming back with 10-straight wins over the likes of Syracuse, Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
, Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
and Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
. On a team that many considered the nation's best at year's end, Willis helped put the exclamation point on that notion with a 41-17 win over Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.
Professional career
After college, he went on to play professional football for the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm are an Arena Football League team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa....
of the Arena Football League.
Commentating career
Willis worked in the broadcast booth as a color analyst with "the voice of the Seminoles", long time FSU play-by-play announcer Gene DeckerhoffGene Deckerhoff
Emerson Eugene "Gene" Deckerhoff, Jr. is the radio play-by-play announcer of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a post he has held since 1989...
. His signature phrase was "I see you (name of player)." Following ten years of service, his contract was not renewed after the 2007-2008 football season because the Florida State administration and coaches felt he was "too critical" of the program. Head coach Bobby Bowden stood by this decision, and said "I do support it. I support it all the way."
"They felt like I was too critical of the program and the team the last few years," Willis said. "I hate that. That was not my intent. My intent was to call it like I see it for 10 years. But if people are upset with me because I was telling the truth, if that's going to upset people, maybe I shouldn't be there."
Willis is a member of the FSU Sports Hall of Fame and a former quarterback who led the Seminoles to a 10-2 record and No. 3 ranking in 1989. He was critical of the offense under former coordinator Jeff Bowden, and regretted saying that the Seminoles resembled a "high school offense" during the 2005 game at Clemson. That comment especially upset coach Bobby Bowden, according to sources. Interestingly, Willis believed that the program, with the hiring of Jimbo Fisher
Jimbo Fisher
John James "Jimbo" Fisher is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently head coach at Florida State University....
was headed in the right direction.