Home Christian News Top NFL Draft Prospect Malik Willis Lives Out His Faith at Combine

Top NFL Draft Prospect Malik Willis Lives Out His Faith at Combine

Malik Willis
Screengrab from Twitter.

At the NFL Scouting Combine this week, elite-quarterback prospect Malik Willis captured lots of attention for his on-the-field performance. But an action the Liberty University athlete took on an Indianapolis street corner also went viral.

On Twitter Thursday, sports marketer Ryan Lacey posted a video of Willis assisting someone who appears to be experiencing homeless. Lacey writes: “Was having lunch yesterday and saw one of the Combine guys helping out someone on some hard times…  @malikwillis being great even when nobody is watching. How can you not be a fan of this guy?”

In the comments, one person writes, “Don’t know who Malik is or who he played for. I won’t forget him now.” Another notes, “I really hope this wasn’t choreographed for the camera,” to which someone replies, “That’s how he was raised. This was not staged. That’s the GOD in him.”

Liberty’s Malik Willis Has High Hopes for NFL Draft

Willis, 22, began his college football career as a backup at Auburn but transferred to—and flourished at—Liberty University. The private Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia, has played football at the FBS level for only a few years, and none of its players has been selected higher than the fourth round. But that will likely soon change.

RELATED: Lauded LA Rams Receiver Cooper Kupp Pursues ‘A Crown That Will Last Forever’

At the 2022 NFL Draft in April, Willis is projected to go in the first round. And the quarterback, who’s known for humility and quiet confidence, told reporters he should be the first QB selected. At this week’s Combine, where players showcase their skills, Willis admitted he thinks he’s the top QB prospect—but realizes the decision isn’t up to him.

Willis also made headlines for revealing that he didn’t watch football until high school, thinking the sport was boring. That changed, he says, “when I started getting better at it.” The player, who grew up in Georgia, says he realizes how important the quarterback position is at the pro level. “I mean, you’re the face of the franchise, literally,” says Willis. “You’re the face of the city. So you’ve got to…[make] sure you’re doing all the right things.”

QB’s Motto: ‘Thank God for Everything’

At the same time, Willis says he doesn’t play for the approval of other people. “The only one I have to prove [anything] to and respect is God. I’m playing for an audience of one, and I don’t really care too much what [others] say.”

RELATED: Faith-Based Pic ‘American Underdog’ Tells Story of Super Bowl Champion Kurt Warner

In an interview last fall with Sports Spectrum magazine, Willis describes his faith journey. Although he grew up attending church every week, his personal relationship with God really clicked in ninth grade, thanks to Fellowship of Christian Athletes meetings. Liberty’s message of “training champions for Christ” intrigued Willis, who admits, “I felt like I needed to get closer to [God].”