Attitude is everything. It may be a simple age-old adage, but it is always true and can apply to nearly every aspect of life.
When it comes to attitude and personality, wide receivers are often thought of as drama-queens tying to hog the limelight. Yet, ASU senior Mike Willie does not fit any of the typical wide receiver stereotypes.
“Mike is a character,” senior receiver Gerell Robinson said. “He’s definitely a good player to be around. I like being out there with him and I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”
Junior quarterback Brock Osweiler agrees with Robison and had similar comments about one of his veteran wide outs.
“Mike’s a great asset to this team,” Osweiler said. “He’s a fun guy to be around. He brings a lot of energy to the room and he’s a great wide receiver.”
With Willie’s undeniable abilities, it would be easy to be a diva, but the receiver is focused on the success of the team, rather than his individual statistics. This is evident in Willie’s abilities to block and contribute to the Sun Devils rushing attack.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he does to our run game,” Osweiler said. “If you guys ever hop in here and watch some of the film, he’ll take cornerbacks and put them on their back play after play. He flat out dominates guys at the line of scrimmage.”
Receivers rarely get credit for their ability to block and spring running backs on long runs, but blocking is something Willie prides himself on because he realizes what a big impact it can have on a team and a game.
“I love it,” Willie said. “I love it. I love it. I’m dominant on my blocking. I got to dominate my blocking because that’s what comes first. I love blocking just like I love catching the ball.”
He may not possess the “me-first” attitude that often drives fans away from certain players, there is a bit of an edge to the way Willie plays football and lives his life.
The first hint of this edge is Willie’s unmistakable black visor.
“The black visor, I love the black visor,” Willie said. “It’s just the swag I live by really. It’s me (being) who I am.”
His personality was also on display during preseason practices when he told the Arizona Republic the black “X” taped on his gold helmet was to signify his role as the team’s “X-factor.”
The six-foot-four, 211-pound receiver is arguably the best blocker on the Sun Devils, but a receiver’s job is to catch the ball and Willie is just as good of a receiver as he is a blocker.
After finishing second on the team with 36 receptions a year ago, the junior college transfer has 24 receptions, 347 yards and three touchdowns in seven games this season. And Willie’s production has increased of late. He has 14 catches, including seven in a victory at Utah, and three touchdowns in the team’s last three games.
While his production has increased, Willie insists he has not been doing anything different.
“I’m getting the ball a little bit more (and) making plays when I get the opportunity,” Willie said. “That’s about it.”
Willie may not feel anything has changed, but ASU coach Dennis Erickson believes Willie’s production is a result of his comfort level.
“He’s more comfortable,” Erickson said. “Missing spring football hurt him a little bit as far as the mental stuff. He’s getting better every week in practice.”
Senior receiver George Bell has also noticed Willie’s improvement.
“His biggest improvement has been his route running,” Bell said. “Me and Mike both came in from JC struggling with our routes. Seeing Mike last year be an inside guy and now being an outside guy, his improvement in his route running is showing a lot. You can see him make breaks that last year he didn’t.”
Willie’s abilities are improving and deserve to be mentioned, but in another example of selflessness the California native makes sure to credit his teammates whenever talking about personal success.
Reach the reporter at william.boor@asu.edu
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