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Willis Picked by San Francisco |
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By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
Patrick Willis receives the call from the NFL draft in
New York announcing he has been drafted by San
Francisco. Willis takes the call as he stands in front
of the ESPN telecast projected on the wall at his
Bruceton home.
Bruceton Standout Picked 11th in NFL Draft
BRUCETON (April 28) – A rags to riches story manifested
itself in Bruceton Saturday when Central High School
football standout Patrick Willis was selected 11th
overall and the first linebacker selected in the two-day
annual draft. Willis was selected by San Francisco 49ers
as their first pick in the draft.
ESPN, Commercial Appeal, Jackson Sun, WBBJ, The McKenzie
Banner, and Carroll County News-Leader representatives
gathered in the Carroll Street home of the Willis
family’s guardians, Chris and Julie Finley, awaiting the
announcement.
Patrick Willis and friend Carlos Garcia relax by playing
Madden Football on the Playstation. In the background,
Julie Finley watches.
Patrick’s awards occupied the Finley’s China cabinet,
and the Butkus Award was on the dining room counter.
Framed photos of Patrick’s career at Central and Ole
Miss lined the wall.
The draft rules allowed each team 15 minutes to make its
announcement. A couple of minutes before the 49ers time
expired, Willis, seated with family members on the sofa,
received a call on his cell phone. His emotions went
from nervous anticipation to all smiles. It was official
– he was going to San Francisco. The black SOX cap
Willis was wearing was soon replaced with a red 49ers
cap, one his guardian Chris Finley received in Mobile
Alabama from 49ers’ coach Mike Nolan, who did not know
the Finleys. The Bruceton couple was wearing Ole Miss
outerwear when Nolan tossed the cap to Chris while in a
hotel lobby during the Senior Bowl.
There must have been magic in that cap, thinks Julie.
“That’s so bazaar about that cap,” she said. Coach Nolan
took the cap off his head and tossed it to Chris. It fit
perfectly. “Chris wears it all the time.” Saturday, the
only football team cap in the house was that 49er’s cap.
As soon as the announcement was made on national
television, Julie gave a thumbs up, jumped to her feet
and retrieved the cap giving it and a congratulatory hug
to Patrick. She noted the cap fit Patrick perfectly as
well.
ESPN showed the excitement of family on national
television but was unable to get an on-air interview.
For the next couple of hours, Patrick stayed busy
answering his two cell phones talking to his agent, SF
representatives, and representatives of the media.
Last year’s 11th round pick, Jay Cutler, received a
six-year, $48 million contract. Willis said he plans to
buy his grandmother a new doublewide mobile home, valued
at $90,000, and take care of his brothers and sisters.
He had met with a financial advisor and does not plan to
buy any fancy cars or other items at this time. The only
concern he has is the California state income tax.
He credits his good fortune to the spirit of his
brother, Detris, who drown July 17, 2006 before his
senior year . He said the two of them will go to San
Francisco where Detris will continue to watch over him.
Patrick wears a dog tag with his late brother’s photo on
it.
“My biggest goal was just getting to be able to play
again,” said Patrick. He noted only one percent make it
to the next level. “To be the 11th pick…Wow, I’m
excited,” said the draftee. He was headed out of Memphis
to San Francisco on Sunday.
Patrick said he will go to San Francisco and “do the
best I can as a man and do the best I can for the
program and to continue to stay humble and stay
grounded…I’m just happy to be part of the 49ers.” He
said he will be looking for a place to sleep and concern
himself with finances later. One SF representative told
Willis he will wear the number 52.
Patrick visited about 10 teams, but not San Francisco.
Chris said the San Francisco coach probably saw all he
needed to see of Patrick during the Senior Bowl.
When the announcement was made, Chris said he sneaked
out back of the house for a moment to himself. He said
he visited the cats and looked at his garden. It was a
private moment to reflect on what had just happened.
It was he and Julie whose family began on May 12, 2002
when they took in four Willis children in their mobile
home in the Vale community. “It was wall to wall,”
recalled Julie to Buddy Smothers, who is a fellow
teacher of the Finleys at Hollow Rock-Bruceton. The
Willis siblings’ mom left them and their father was
unreliable. Moving in were Ernika, Orey, Detris, and
Patrick. That was the May of Patrick’s junior year.
“I knew he (Patrick) was a good kid,” said Chris Finley,
who coached him in basketball three years. After serving
as his guardian since 2002, Finley said Patrick is for
real. “There’s no kink in the armor.”
Patrick finished at Central High School in 2003, being
the first football player ever to receive the TSSAA Mr.
Football in both offense and defense. He went to Ole
Miss, where he will graduate this month with a degree in
criminal justice.
He almost completed his degree in three years, said
Julie. The school wanted him to slow down. This last
semester, he completed his final course online.
During his illustrious gridiron career at Ole Miss,
Willis was selected by league coaches as the Defensive
Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006. Despite playing
injured, he led the SEC in tackles during his junior and
senior years. Selected as the league’s best player prior
to the start of his senior season, Willis responded by
netting 137 tackles including 87 solos, 50 assists, 11.5
tackles for loss of 44 yards, 3 sacks for loss of 25
yards, and 7 pass break-ups. Willis finished his career
with the Rebels with a total of 355 tackles.
Competing against Penn State’s Paul Posluszny and Ohio
State’s James Laurinaitis, Willis won the prestigious
Butkus Award on December 9, 2006 during a
nationally-telecast live presentation of the Home Depot
/ ESPN College Football Awards Show at the Downtown
Athletic Club in Orlando, Fla. The award, symbolic of
the best linebacker in college football, was presented
to Willis by Chicago Bear and NFL Hall-of-Fame great
Dick Butkus.
In addition to winning the Butkus Award, Willis won the
coveted Lambert Trophy, given in honor of former
Pittsburgh Steeler middle linebacker and NFL
Hall-of-Fame great Jack Lambert.
Adding to his accolades, Willis was selected as
recipient of the Conerly Award, given annually to the
state of Mississippi’s best athlete. Despite playing
injured throughout most of the 2005 Rebel season, Willis
led the nation in tackles en route to an All-American
performance while earning the Chucky Mullins Courage
Award. The award is presented annually at Ole Miss in
memory of Rebel defensive back Mullins who was paralyzed
during a tackle against Vanderbilt in 1992 and died
three years later.
The weekend capped days of celebration by the greater
Bruceton community. Roadside signs exclaimed the
community’s pride for Patrick. Thursday, he spoke to the
D.A.R.E. graduation at Central. He served as a role
model for the drug-free training course as a student at
CHS. Friday, it was Patrick Willis Day in Bruceton. The
community gathered for the evening in the City Park
where Willis greeted the well-wishers. The event was
capped with the presentation of the Key to the City by
Bruceton Mayor Robert Keeton, III.
Patrick said he and friend, Carlos Garcia, a cheerleader
at Ole Miss, played table games and video games until
4:30 a.m. Saturday.
Waiting on the draft announcements Saturday, Patrick and
Carlos played Madden football on Playstation followed by
a video game of Battle of the Bands with Julie.
Asked if he thought the Finleys would attend his first
professional game, Patrick said “as sure as the sky is
blue...This doesn’t mean we stop being a family.”
“He never ceases to amaze me,” concluded Julie of
Patrick. |
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Mayor Breaks Tie for Possible Cell Tower |
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By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
MCKENZIE (April 26) – A new Verizon cell tower may soon
be installed in the McKenzie Park on Como Street
following action of the McKenzie Mayor and Council.
Mayor Walter Winchester, casting his first vote in his
four-year tenure, broke the council’s 3-3 tie vote that
attempted to delay the decision until next meeting.
Voting to delay were Brad Davis, Jill Holland, and Wade
Allen. Voting against the delay were Gene Hale, Charles
Ramey, and Darra Adkins.
Following the failed effort to delay, the council voted
5-1 to proceed with negotiations with Verizon for the
installation of the tower. Holland voted against
negotiating.
Verizon Wireless proposes to install a 195-foot tall
monopole tower just beyond the tree line on the recently
purchased land that adjoins the recreation park. A
100-foot square fenced area would protect the tower
site. Originally, Verizon wanted to install a “halo” on
top of the water tank in the park. However, provisions
of a park construction grant prohibit the installation
of the equipment for commercial companies. Verizon opted
to install the tower instead on the city-owned land that
was not purchased through grants. Councilman Gene Hale
said the deal would provide “considerable income” for
the city.
Councilwoman Jill Holland wanted the Parks and
Recreation Advisory Committee to review the proposal
before the city council made its decision. She said the
land was purchased for park use and would hate to see a
cell tower on the property. Winchester said the property
is not currently in the Parks and Recreation budget.
Charlie Beal, McKenzie city clerk, said the city is
expected to receive $10,000 to $12,000 annually from the
lease agreement. Additionally, Verizon would build a
road to the site, allowing more access and parking in
the park. The tower would eliminate some of the load on
other transmitters and is needed, in part, because of
the heavy usage from the Bethel College campus.
If approved, the deal would be the city’s second lease
agreement with a cell phone company. Clear Talk
currently leases a site behind McKenzie City Hall.
In reports, Parks Director Ricky French said the
scoreboards at the city park are in bad condition. The
remote control boxes are made of plastic, and if
dropped, are usually ruined. Mayor Winchester said he
would contact Pepsi concerning the replacement of the
scoreboard.
Holland reported a very successful start to the baseball
and softball season. She noted that citizens
complimented the condition of the parks.
Adkins reported the Fire Department has answered 45
calls this year. All McKenzie’s incident reports are
filed electronically with the state and federal
authorities. She also stated that Chief Brian Tucker and
Assistant Chief Roger Christian have implemented
training logs for each apparatus. Firefighters must be a
minimum age and have a minimum number of training hours
before being certified to operate the apparatus.
Adkins said she provided information to a young
California girl for a school project. The girl’s request
for information was published in The McKenzie Banner.
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Winkler Case Moved to Carroll County, Grandparents Seek
Adoption |
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Mary Winkler and her late husband’s parents, Dan and Diane
Winkler of Huntingdon, were in Madison County Juvenile Court
for a third time Monday over custody of Mary and Matthew
Winkler’s three daughters.
The hearing came nearly two weeks after a jury convicted
Mary Winkler of voluntary manslaughter for the March 2006
shooting death of her husband, then the minister at Fourth
Street Church of Christ in Selmer. Patricia, 9, Mary Alice
(Allie), 7, and Brianna, 2, have been in the custody of
their paternal grandparents since their mother’s arrest last
year.
No action was taken Monday by Madison County Juvenile Court
Judge Christy Little because Dan and Diane Winkler have
filed petitions to adopt the girls and to terminate Mary’s
parental rights, according to The Jackson Sun.
Those motions were fled last week in Carroll County Chancery
Court in Huntingdon, where Dan and Diane Winkler reside.
Proceedings in Chancery Court will be open to the public,
but documents in the case are sealed according to state law.
According to state law, a petition for adoption forces a
stay in any legal proceedings involving other custody
issues.
In addition, Mary Winkler’s sentencing hearing, which had
been scheduled for May 18 in McNairy County Circuit Court,
has been postponed because of attorney scheduling conflicts.
No new date for the hearing had been announced at press time
Tuesday.
Attorneys for Winkler also want her conviction wiped from
her record, according to The Associated Press.
Memphis television station WHBQ reported Saturday that Mary
Winkler’s defense team has filed paperwork asking for
judicial diversion.
Winkler, 33, currently is free on $750,000 bond, awaiting
sentencing. The voluntary manslaughter conviction carries a
three to six-year sentence, but if diversion is granted it
would allow Winkler to serve her sentence on probation.
It also would expunge the conviction from her record.
Mary’s attorney, Steve Farese Sr. said, “It’s presumed under
the law that she is entitled to alternative sentencing
because of the lack of a prior record. It doesn’t mean
she’ll get probation or diversion, but it would be one of
the alternatives the judge can consider.”
Matthew Winkler, a 31-year-old preacher at the Fourth Street
Church of Christ, was found in the Selmer church parsonage
in March 2006. One day later, his wife was arrested on the
Alabama coast, driving the family minivan with their three
young daughters.
Mary Winkler told jurors that her husband abused her
physically and sexually. But she said she did not pull the
trigger and the shotgun went off accidentally as she pointed
it at him.
Mary Winkler is also facing a $2 million wrongful death
lawsuit filed last month in McNairy County by Dan and Diane
Winkler on behalf of the three children.
Her attorney in that case, Randy Fishman of Memphis, said he
has asked for a continuance because the Winkler’s attorney,
Jake Adams, was in Jackson for the hearing Monday. |
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Little Mr. and Miss McKenzie Wins First at Fish Fry |
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Greased Lightning was the theme for the Little Mr. and
Miss McKenzie float that took first place honors in Out
of Town category in the World’s Biggest Fish Fry Grand
Parade. Poodle skirts for the girls and slicked-back
hair for the guys added authenticity to the float.
Participants included: King – Cameron Rawls, Queen –
Rachel Rorer, 1st Page – Andrew Rider, 1st Maid – Molley
Kate Tippitt, 2nd Page – Lucas Waddell, 2nd Maid – Emma
Martin, 3rd Page – Devon Elliott, 3rd Maid – Cheyenne
Sellers, 4th Page – Mason Wallace, and 4th Maid – Julie
French. See additional parade entries from Carroll
County inside this issue.
Click
here for
more World's Biggest Fish Fry parade photos. |
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Clarksburg Hummingbird Festival is Saturday |
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The tenth annual Clarksburg Hummingbird Festival on
Saturday, May 5 promises an array of events. The
location is the intersection of Highway 22 and
Clarksburg Road, 10 miles from Huntingdon and five miles
north of I-40.
Set up for a flea market will be held 6-7 a.m. For more
information, contact Fay McDaniel 986-3018.
A beauty revue is scheduled for 10 a.m., with
registration at 9 a.m. Age groups will include babies up
to 21 years. Contact Dana Cobb at 986-2319, Rhonda
Gurley at 986-9273 or De Anna Townsend 986-8370.
A pet show will get underway at 1:30 p.m., with
registration at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $5.00. Contact Linda
Reed at 986-3223 or Linda Parker at 986-5528.
A Rook tournament begins at 3 p.m., with registration at
2:30 p.m. Contact Lynn Breedon or Ronnie Breeden at
986-3298 or 986-4948.
All day events, starting at 10 a.m., includes food, cake
walks, rock climbing wall, horseshoe and volleyball
tournaments (must be registered by 10 a.m.), dunking
booth starring Ricky Scott, and a silent auction.
Concessions include barbecue by the pound, plates or
sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill,
funnel cakes, drinks and other goodies.
Madam Merita will be conducting fortune telling from 10
a.m. until 2 p.m.
A variety show will begin at 7 p.m., including the Kizer
Connection, featuring Lori Simons. |
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