The 25 Fittest Football Players

Patrick Willis – Linebacker – San Francisco 49ers

The 6'1! 240-pound linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers strikes fear into the hearts of opposing offenses not just with the tattoos covering nearly his entire torso, but also with his extreme speed (it should be illegal for a man Patrick Willis’ size to run a 4.51 second 40-yard dash), his massive strength (22 consecutive reps of a 225-pound bench press), and off the charts agility (including a 39” vertical leap and a 119” broad jump). If that wasn’t enough to impress you, think about the fact that Willis reportedly squats 500 pounds. And how does he get (and stay) this jacked? In a 2010 Stack.com video interview, the 2007 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year detailed his unique homegrown workout, which consists of basically whatever feels right to him. Growing up, Willis didn’t have free weights or a gym to use, so he used whatever he could find to keep his body in shape, including push ups, sit ups, and other plyometric exercises. It sure seems to have worked for one of the fittest current defensive players in the NFL.