6/26/2020 football Edit

Catching up with ... Willie Fells

Tom Dienhart • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor

@TomDienhart1

Willie Fells led Purdue in tackles for three seasons in a row: 1997-99.

Willie Fells’ career has been all about the unexpected.

He never expected to play at Purdue. He became a key cog on some memorable Boilermaker teams from 1995-99.

He never expected to play in the CFL. He became a star north of the border on a Grey Cup champion.

He never expected to be a coach. He has become the head coach at his former high school in Palatka, Fla.

It has been a fun ride for the former Purdue linebacker, who still ranks No. 13 on Purdue’s all-time tackles list (341).

GoldandBlack.com caught up with Fells.

GoldandBlack.com: How did you end up at Purdue?

Fells: If you had asked me during the football season of my senior year, I thought I was going to Florida, to be honest. I thought I was going to be a Gator. By the end of my junior year, I had Gator everything … socks, shoes. I went to school every day with Gator stuff on. Ron Zook was recruiting me at Florida. My final five schools were UCF, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn and Purdue came in the last part of it.

I knew Lee Johnson had gone to Purdue the previous year. So I decided to go visit. And Purdue also said I could wrestle. I was pretty accomplished at wrestling in high school. I went 99-3 in high school. At that time, few colleges in the south had wrestling. When they said I could wrestle, too, my ears stood up. OK.

Mike Hawthorne, Adrian Beasley and some other guys were there at the same time. On the visit, we all decided we were gonna go there. And they also were recruiting Wayne Francis, who was from Palatka. I got kind of won over on my visit. I didn’t see that coming before my visit to Purdue.

GoldandBlack.com: How did you get on the field so quickly as a true freshman in 1995?

Fells: Funny story. We were playing Notre Dame at home that year. I was on special teams. I was crazy, so I think they decided to let this crazy guy run down the field. It was an honor. I remember coming in and looking at Chike (Okeafor) and not believing how big he was. He was a massive human and great player. So, then I get on the field for defense vs. Notre Dame and remember looking over and seeing Lou Holtz on the sideline. They snap the ball and I am still staring at Lou Holtz. Coach took me out and said: ‘Go sit down, freshman.” I didn’t play much after that. I remember seeing Holtz on TV, Rocket Ismail. I never thought I’d be playing Notre Dame.

GoldandBlack.com: You redshirted in 1996?

Fells: It turned out to be a blessing. I had gotten into some academic issues and the coaches thought it would be best if I redshirted that season to catch up. I got my footing and got used to being so far from home.

GoldandBlack.com: Then you went on to lead the team in tackles each of the next three seasons in 1997, 1998, 1999.

Fells: I can’t take all the credit for leading the team in tackles. I had great players around me. When you have David Nugent Leo Perez, Greg Smith, Chukie (Nwokorie), Chike (Okeafor), Rosevelt (Colvin), the list goes on of guys who demanded attention. A lot of guys could have done what I did playing behind those guys.

One of the things I prided myself on was I wanted to be the smartest guy on the field. I was a little undersized. I was just 215 as a sophomore. That won’t cut it in what then was a very physical Big Ten. I wanted to be the smartest guy on the field and I was gonna out work you. And when the fourth quarter came, it was going to be mine. That was my mind-set.

GoldandBlack.com: What was the highlight of your career?

Fells: There were so many good times, so many good games. Beating Notre Dame in 1997. Coming back vs. Michigan State in ’97. That was just a crazy game. So much fun.

The Alamo Bowl in 1998 vs. Kansas State. That was a fun game. That was the first time that I left the field, and I left everything out there. I was so exhausted after that game. I couldn't even celebrate. My body was just drained.

In 1999, so many good games, too. I can’t just pick one. I did it with a group of great guys. Mike Rose was the strong side linebacker. I was the “Mike.” We played together three years. We had a lot of fun.

GoldandBlack.com: What did Joe Tiller mean to the program?

Fells: When he came in, he gave us confidence that we could do it. He allowed us to build a little attitude about ourselves and the way we carried ourselves. And I could just remember him carrying himself with such a confidence that it just exuded all over the place. And I recall the funny jokes he’d tell at practice at unexpected times. He was cool and calm. You never felt like you went into a game unprepared. That’s a key thing. You always felt like you had a chance.

Willie Fells enjoyed a nice career in the CFL.

GoldandBlack.com: Talk about your career in the CFL.

Fells: Like going to Purdue, that came out of the blue, as well. I didn’t get drafted by the NFL. ... I got a call from Hamilton Tiger-Cats wanting to speak to me while I was training for a job. I’ll be honest with you: I didn’t know who the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were. Or where Hamilton was. I barely knew where Canada was. I was a little kid from Palatka, Fla. Playing in the CFL was not on my list—like going to Purdue.

I got to camp. I made the team. (Former Purdue LB) Joe Hagins was there. I ended up starting at middle linebacker and was the team’s rookie of the year and led the team in tackles. Turned out to be fun. Great atmosphere in Canada. Really enjoyed the game.

I ended up at Calgary and ended up starting again. We won the Grey Cup and I scored a touchdown that ended up being the game-winning touchdown. That was a fun experience. I was in Calgary four years and went to Winnipeg my final year.

I had my own restaurant a while in Calgary (Myles Avery Restaurant and Martini Lounge). It was soul food and we put a fine-dining twist to it and paired it up with south African wine. I did a lot of charity work in Calgary, too. A kid from Palatka got to play football and they wrote me a check at the end of the week. It was amazing.

GoldandBlack.com: What have you been doing since you left football?

Fells: I never thought I would be a coach. I wanted to play football and do whatever I do after that. I worked for Georgia Pacific a while back in Palatka. I got frustrated and walked away from that. ... I coached at Bethel University (Tennessee) for a while. I am now the head coach at my old high school in Palatka. I never would have dreamed that in my life. You never know what will happen next, which has been often in my life. This is my third year. You know god has a purpose. I can share my experiences with others—good and bad. I think they need to hear the mistakes more than the successes. They probably do more for me than I do for them. I am having a blast.

GoldandBlack.com: Do you have a family?

Fells: I have a wife and four kids. Two boys and two girls. My oldest son will be 22. I have a 13-year old daughter, a 7-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. God has blessed me. Even when I try to mess it up, he puts it back in place.

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