Ohio State legend, NFL Hall of Famer Willis dies at 86

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Bill Willis, a Hall of Fame guard with the Cleveland Browns who also was Ohio State's first black football All-American, died Tuesday evening, a university spokesman said. He was 86.

Willis had been battling a short illness and was hospitalized, said school spokesman Steve Snapp, who was notified of the death by one of Willis' sons. No other details were released.

"As great a football player as he was, he was three times as good a dad," his son Will Willis Jr., told the Columbus Dispatch.

Willis, an All-American in 1943 and 1944, had his No. 99 jersey retired at halftime of the Wisconsin-Ohio State game on Nov. 3 at Ohio Stadium.

He had a distinguished career with the Browns (1946-53), helping to break the color barrier in professional football. Willis was inducted into both the college and pro football Halls of Fame.

Willis played both offense and defense for the Browns but won acclaim as a defensive middle guard on a five-man front. He made a touchdown-saving tackle in a playoff game against the New York Giants that allowed the Browns to advance and eventually win the 1950 championship game in their first year in the NFL.

With the Buckeyes, Willis was a devastating blocker on offense and a punishing, relentless tackler on defense, despite his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame. The Columbus native was a key part of the Buckeyes' 1942 national championship squad.

After retiring from a career as director of the Ohio Youth Commission, Willis continued to live in the Columbus area.