Willie Pile
Encyclopedia
Willie Marquis Pile is a Canadian football
linebacker
for the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Virginia Tech
.
Pile has also been a member of the Amsterdam Admirals
and Dallas Cowboys
.
in Alexandria, Virginia
and was a letterman in football and basketball
. In football, as a senior, Pile was named the Patriot District Offensive Player of the Year and the Northeast Region Offensive Player of the Year, and on defense, he posted eight interceptions and 96 tackles.
at free safety for the Virginia Tech Hokies
, Pile finished his career with 267 tackles, 14 interceptions and 276 return yards. In 2002, his senior year, against Miami Hurricanes
, Pile intercepted a halfback pass from Jarrett Payton
intended for Ken Dorsey
and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown. The interception would come while Tech was trailing 49-21 and sparked a rally that ultimately fell short as the Hokies lost 56-45.
by the Kansas City Chiefs
. He played on the practice squad for Kansas City in 2003. In 2004, Pile played for the Amsterdam Admirals
of NFL Europe. He played in 16 games for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2004 season, recording 36 tackles and two pass deflections. In 2005, Pile played in 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys
, recording 22 tackles.
of the Canadian Football League
. Pile played in 17 games in the 2007 season
and finished 3rd on the Argonauts in tackles with 76 tackles. He also recorded five quarterback sacks.
2008 season
: Pile became the team leader in tackles with 75 also adding three interceptions and two sacks through 17 games. Following the 2008 season, he was re-signed by the Argonauts on February 16, 2009.
2009 season
: Pile played his first full season, amassing 81 tackles, three interceptions and one sack.
2010 season
: Pile set a career high of 83 tackles and had four interceptions and two sacks.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
.
Pile has also been a member of the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
and 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...
.
High school career
Pile attended West Potomac High SchoolWest Potomac High School
West Potomac High School is a public high school in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is located on 6500 Quander Road and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools.-History:...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
and was a letterman in football and 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...
. In football, as a senior, Pile was named the Patriot District Offensive Player of the Year and the Northeast Region Offensive Player of the Year, and on defense, he posted eight interceptions and 96 tackles.
College career
A three-year starterStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
at free safety for the Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
, Pile finished his career with 267 tackles, 14 interceptions and 276 return yards. In 2002, his senior year, against Miami Hurricanes
2002 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2002 Miami Hurricanes football team sought to defend the school's 1-A national championship. They were coached by second year head coach Larry Coker, and competed in the Big East Conference- Pre Season :...
, Pile intercepted a halfback pass from Jarrett Payton
Jarrett Payton
Jarrett Walter Payton is a professional American and Canadian football running back. He is the son of Walter Payton. Payton was previously signed as an undrafted free agent by the NFL Tennessee Titans....
intended for Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown. The interception would come while Tech was trailing 49-21 and sparked a rally that ultimately fell short as the Hokies lost 56-45.
NFL
Pile was drafted in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. He played on the practice squad for Kansas City in 2003. In 2004, Pile played for the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
of NFL Europe. He played in 16 games for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2004 season, recording 36 tackles and two pass deflections. In 2005, Pile played in 16 games for 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...
, recording 22 tackles.
CFL
On February 23, 2007, Pile signed with the Toronto ArgonautsToronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. Pile played in 17 games in the 2007 season
2007 CFL season
The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on...
and finished 3rd on the Argonauts in tackles with 76 tackles. He also recorded five quarterback sacks.
2008 season
2008 CFL season
The 2008 CFL season was the 55th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 51st season for the league. It was also the first CFL season in which all of the league's regular season and post-season games, including the Grey Cup game, were aired on TSN. This meant the CFL...
: Pile became the team leader in tackles with 75 also adding three interceptions and two sacks through 17 games. Following the 2008 season, he was re-signed by the Argonauts on February 16, 2009.
2009 season
2009 CFL season
The 2009 CFL season was the 56th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 52nd season of the Canadian Football League. The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th Grey Cup on November 29 with a last second 28–27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders...
: Pile played his first full season, amassing 81 tackles, three interceptions and one sack.
2010 season
2010 CFL season
The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it is the 53rd season of the league. Edmonton is scheduled to host the 98th Grey Cup on November 28...
: Pile set a career high of 83 tackles and had four interceptions and two sacks.