Will Pettis
Encyclopedia
Will Pettis is an arena football
Wide Receiver
/ Defensive Back
for the who is currently a free agent
of the Arena Football League
.
Pettis is a four-time member of the AFL's All-Ironman team, a three-time member of the All-Arena team and was the Ironman of the Year.
in Hinesville to finish his prep career. He then attended Middle Georgia Junior College
. He was named to the GJCAA Region 17 All-District team after totaling 54 tackles for Middle Georgia. He also broke up three passes for a Middle Georgia defense that established a NJCAA record for fewest yards surrendered in a season. He was a starting cornerback
for the Houston Cougars
as a junior. Pettis transferred to Midwestern State University
and finished his senior season with 42 tackles and three interceptions. He also finished second in the Lone Star Conference
with a team-leading 14.6 yard punt return average, 146 yards on 10 returns.
of af2
and finished the year second on the team with 55 receptions for 791 yards and 14 touchdowns. On defense, he led the team with nine interceptions for 47 yards, 34 pass breakups and eight missed field goal returns for 168 yards and a touchdown. He was third on the team with 36.5 tackles, including two for losses.
In , Pettis made his Arena Football League debut with the Dallas Desperados and had one of the league’s best seasons by a rookie
, earning All-Rookie and Second-Team All-Arena honors. He finished the season with a rookie club-record 1,562 all-purpose yards, 798 receiving, 640 on kickoff returns, 93 on missed field goal returns, 22 on interception returns and nine rushing, while finishing fourth on the team with 34.5 tackles
. After the AFL season, he went to training camp
with the New Orleans Saints
, but was released midway through.
In , Pettis finished the season second on the team in receptions with 95, third in receiving yards with 1,076 and touchdowns with 20.
In , Pettis ended the season with several milestones. In addition to being named to the All-Ironman Team and All-Arena Team for the third time, he moved into second place in franchise history in touchdown catches (50), career receptions (253) and receiving yards (2,860). On defense, he set a personal best with 47.5 tackles and five interceptions. He recorded five games with over 200 all-purpose yards, giving him 12 for his career. He also moved into second place in franchise record books with 426 career points and 70 career touchdowns. After the season, he went to training camp with the Atlanta Falcons
, but was released on the final cut-down date.
In , Pettis was named to the All-Arena team for the third time in his career after he recorded 1,256 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns on 93 receptions. His totals for the season helped helped him to become the all-time leader in all franchise receiving categories and to surpass 9,000 career all-purpose yards. He added 40 tackles, 13 passes defensed and six interceptions, bringing his career total to 15, good for second in team history, on defense.
In , Pettis earned Ironman of the Year honors, as well as earning his fourth-straight All-Ironman selection as he was named Ironman of the Game 15 times and was named Ironman of the Month for March and June. He ranked second in all-purpose yards (2,781), tied for second in kickoff returns for a touchdown (four), sixth in catches (130), eighth in kickoff return average (21.2) and 10th in receiving yards (1,471).
In , Pettis recorded 95 receptions for 1,048 yards and 25 touchdowns. On defense he recorded 21 tackloes, two interceptions and one touchown.
In 2009, Pettis signed with the Texas Hurricanes, of the Southern Indoor Football League
,making his debut on July 5, and on June 2, 2010 Pettis returned to Dallas, signing with the Dallas Vigilantes
.
found playing basketball
, video games or pool
with at-risk youth served by the clubs across the Metroplex. Pettis has twice served as a celebrity guest coach at the Dallas Cowboys
Let Us Play! Sports Camp for Girls - a three-day sports camp for inner-city girls served by charitable organizations like The Salvation Army
, West Dallas Community Centers and Girls, Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas. During the holiday season, Pettis participates in The Salvation Army Angel Tree program, where he adopts ‘angels’ which represent underprivileged children and purchases gifts for them during the holidays. Pettis signed autographs at the American Cancer Society
’s Smoke Out event.
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
Wide Receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
/ Defensive Back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for the who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
.
Pettis is a four-time member of the AFL's All-Ironman team, a three-time member of the All-Arena team and was the Ironman of the Year.
Early life and college career
Pettis and attended the Bradwell InstituteBradwell Institute
Bradwell Institute is a public high school located in Hinesville, Georgia. It serves the western half of Hinesville including western Fort Stewart, Walthourville, Allenhurst, and Gum Branch. The principal is Mr. Scott Carrier. Bradwell serves grades 9–12 with about 1,800 students currently enrolled...
in Hinesville to finish his prep career. He then attended Middle Georgia Junior College
Middle Georgia College
Middle Georgia College is a publicly supported, residential,charter unit of the University System of Georgia, in the city Cochran in the U.S. state of Georgia. Founded in 1884, the school is the oldest two-year college in the United States. It is currently being transformed into a 4 year college...
. He was named to the GJCAA Region 17 All-District team after totaling 54 tackles for Middle Georgia. He also broke up three passes for a Middle Georgia defense that established a NJCAA record for fewest yards surrendered in a season. He was a starting cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
as a junior. Pettis transferred to Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University is a public liberal arts college in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
and finished his senior season with 42 tackles and three interceptions. He also finished second in the Lone Star Conference
Lone Star Conference
The Lone Star Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico...
with a team-leading 14.6 yard punt return average, 146 yards on 10 returns.
Professional career
In 2001, Pettis was out of football. In , he joined the Pensacola BarracudasPensacola Barracudas
The Pensacola Barracudas were an AF2 team and one of the 15 original teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season.Pensacola originally played in the National Conference and won its first five games en route to the playoffs before losing to the eventual undefeated champion Quad City...
of af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
and finished the year second on the team with 55 receptions for 791 yards and 14 touchdowns. On defense, he led the team with nine interceptions for 47 yards, 34 pass breakups and eight missed field goal returns for 168 yards and a touchdown. He was third on the team with 36.5 tackles, including two for losses.
In , Pettis made his Arena Football League debut with the Dallas Desperados and had one of the league’s best seasons by a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, earning All-Rookie and Second-Team All-Arena honors. He finished the season with a rookie club-record 1,562 all-purpose yards, 798 receiving, 640 on kickoff returns, 93 on missed field goal returns, 22 on interception returns and nine rushing, while finishing fourth on the team with 34.5 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
. After the AFL season, he went to training camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, but was released midway through.
In , Pettis finished the season second on the team in receptions with 95, third in receiving yards with 1,076 and touchdowns with 20.
In , Pettis ended the season with several milestones. In addition to being named to the All-Ironman Team and All-Arena Team for the third time, he moved into second place in franchise history in touchdown catches (50), career receptions (253) and receiving yards (2,860). On defense, he set a personal best with 47.5 tackles and five interceptions. He recorded five games with over 200 all-purpose yards, giving him 12 for his career. He also moved into second place in franchise record books with 426 career points and 70 career touchdowns. After the season, he went to training camp with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but was released on the final cut-down date.
In , Pettis was named to the All-Arena team for the third time in his career after he recorded 1,256 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns on 93 receptions. His totals for the season helped helped him to become the all-time leader in all franchise receiving categories and to surpass 9,000 career all-purpose yards. He added 40 tackles, 13 passes defensed and six interceptions, bringing his career total to 15, good for second in team history, on defense.
In , Pettis earned Ironman of the Year honors, as well as earning his fourth-straight All-Ironman selection as he was named Ironman of the Game 15 times and was named Ironman of the Month for March and June. He ranked second in all-purpose yards (2,781), tied for second in kickoff returns for a touchdown (four), sixth in catches (130), eighth in kickoff return average (21.2) and 10th in receiving yards (1,471).
In , Pettis recorded 95 receptions for 1,048 yards and 25 touchdowns. On defense he recorded 21 tackloes, two interceptions and one touchown.
In 2009, Pettis signed with the Texas Hurricanes, of the Southern Indoor Football League
Southern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
,making his debut on July 5, and on June 2, 2010 Pettis returned to Dallas, signing with the Dallas Vigilantes
Dallas Vigilantes
The Dallas Vigilantes were an Arena Football League team based in Dallas, Texas. Like its AFL predecessor, the Dallas Desperados, the Vigilantes played at the American Airlines Center. The Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks began play in the 2010 season, the first after the league's...
.
Career statistics
| Career Statistics | Receiving | |||||
| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TD |
| Dallas Desperados | 11 | 70 | 800 | 11.4 | 17 | |
| Dallas Desperados | 14 | 86 | 972 | 11.0 | 20 | |
| Dallas Desperados | 14 | 94 | 1,009 | 10.7 | 15 | |
| Dallas Desperados | 17 | 93 | 1,256 | 13.5 | 26 | |
| Dallas Desperados 2007 Dallas Desperados season The 2007 Dallas Desperados season was the 6th season for the franchise. They look to make the playoffs again after finishing 2006 with an 13-3 record... |
17 | 128 | 1,441 | 11.3 | 39 | |
| Dallas Desperados 2008 Dallas Desperados season The 2008 Dallas Desperados season is the seventh season for the franchise. The Desperados finished the regular season 12-4, but despite having the second best record in the National Conference, they made the playoffs as the 3rd seed because they did not win their division... |
14 | 95 | 1,048 | 11.0 | 25 | |
| Dallas Vigilantes 2010 Dallas Vigilantes season The 2010 Dallas Vigilantes season was the inaugural season for the franchise in the Arena Football League. With many players of the old Desperados team that put up a 15–1 record in recent years returning, Dallas fans had high hopes for the Vigilantes carrying on with the Desperados' success... |
2 | 6 | 41 | 6.8 | 0 | |
| Total | 79 | 572 | 6,567 | 10.2 | 143 |
| Career Defensive Statistics | ||||||||||||
| Year | Team | G | Tack | Solo | Ast | Sack | FF | FR | Int | Yds | TD | Pass Def. |
| 2003 | Dallas Desperados | 11 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 4 |
| 2004 | Dallas Desperados | 14 | 32 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 8 |
| 2005 | Dallas Desperados | 14 | 43 | 39 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 64 | 0 | 6 |
| 2006 | Dallas Desperados | 17 | 37 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 59 | 0 | 7 |
| 2007 | Dallas Desperados | 17 | 56 | 49 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | Dallas Desperados | 14 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 71 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 77 | 223 | 187 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 237 | 1 | 0 |
| Career Statistics | Return Statistics | |||||
| Year | Team | G | Ret | Yards | Y/R | TD |
| 2003 | Dallas Desperados | 11 | 37 | 750 | 20.3 | 0 |
| 2004 | Dallas Desperados | 14 | 94 | 1,871 | 19.9 | 4 |
| 2005 | Dallas Desperados | 14 | 83 | 1,657 | 20.0 | 7 |
| 2006 | Dallas Desperados | 17 | 67 | 1,153 | 17.2 | 0 |
| 2007 | Dallas Desperados | 17 | 57 | 1,251 | 22.0 | 4 |
| 2008 | Dallas Desperados | 14 | 49 | 820 | 16.7 | 0 |
| Total | 77 | 378 | 7,335 | 19.4 | 15 |
Personal
Pettis lives with his wife, Akiah, and their children, Heaven Leigh, Gabriella, and William. Since the suspension of the Arena Football League's 2009 season, he opened a personal training business and began to help mentor young athletes. He also started a career in the tele-media industry.Charitable work
Since starting his career in Dallas, Pettis has become a visible face in the Dallas-Fort Worth community. He is an annual supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas through the Desperados Impact Player Program. Several times a season, Pettis can befound playing basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, video games or pool
Billiards
Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
with at-risk youth served by the clubs across the Metroplex. Pettis has twice served as a celebrity guest coach at the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
Let Us Play! Sports Camp for Girls - a three-day sports camp for inner-city girls served by charitable organizations like The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, West Dallas Community Centers and Girls, Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas. During the holiday season, Pettis participates in The Salvation Army Angel Tree program, where he adopts ‘angels’ which represent underprivileged children and purchases gifts for them during the holidays. Pettis signed autographs at the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
’s Smoke Out event.