Past behind him Miami Hurricanes DT Gerald Willis ready for big 2018

"Some dudes look at it like, ‘Why am I over here?’ But he looked at it as an opportunity to get better and make the offense better and that’s just what he did. He went out there and was a terror. He was making plays and making the offense better. That just speaks to him as a person.”"

It took a lot of courage for Willis to continue to work after having to take the season off on the field for personal reasons and not an injury. He spoke to Hurricane Sports about being out there with his teammates, the progress he’s made, his reasoning for taking last season off, how he feels and how he has changed.

"“It’s great to be out here with my brothers. I’m just excited to play with these guys this year since I didn’t play last year. I strive to be the best player and person I can be. I needed to address some personal issues in order to meet my own high standards on and off the field. The leave of absence I took afforded me the time and space that I needed to regain my focus. I have never felt better, and am very excited to not only lead by example on the football field this season but also to fulfill my goal of obtaining my degree from the University of Miami. I had a lot of personal issues I had to handle off the field so that I could make a comeback. I had a lot of family issues. I had to get my mind right, so that I could be able to focus this year."