BOZEMAN, Montana — To watch Willie Patterson perform — whether it’s between the lines on a football field or leaping to catch a ball in the end zone or doing backflips while singing the post-game fight song or whenever he’s mic’d up for an interview with the media — is to see a young man who relishes the spotlight.
There’s never been any doubt that the man his teammates call Willie P fancied himself a star from the day he walked onto the Montana State campus. From his trademark long hair that he wears in dreads to a variety of earrings — sometimes in a single ear with a chain and a cross like D.K. Metcalf or Ken Griffey Jr. — to a left arm completely covered in intricate, detailed tattoos, Patterson is swagger personified.
Early in his Montana State football career — whether it was because of season-ending broken clavicles two years in a row or being stuck behind a trio of NFL-bound wide receivers — Patterson’s mouth and his supreme self-confidence sometimes seemed far ahead of his on-field production.
The Tacoma, Washington, native has never shied away from the spotlight. And now the spotlight is shining directly on him. He’s waited his turn and now his turn has come. As former head coach Jeff Choate used to say, in the short team you get what you get. In the long term, you get what you deserve.
In Montana State’s mid-October 37-14 win at Northern Colorado, the explosive, slippery wide receiver caught seven passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns, earning the first Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor of his career.
It’s been a full-circle senior season for Patterson, who seemed to always be the breakout star of spring ball, then always find himself battling for playing time in the fall before some sort of setback befell him. Often times, the setback would come from landing awkwardly on his smaller frame when sprawling for the diving catches just out of his reach. Those diving grabs have become his trademark.
Before this season, Patterson proclaimed he wanted “to have a Lance-type year,” referring to former Bobcat wide receiver Lance McCutcheon, a Bozeman native who tore up his senior season before earning a shot with the Los Angeles Rams. Like McCutcheon, Patterson has had to wait his turn, tallying 56 catches for 633 yards and three touchdowns in in 32 games over four seasons before this fall.
So far, so good for Willie P when it comes to having a Lance-type year, particularly when it comes to finding the end-zone. He enters Saturday’s showdown with No. 5 Weber State with a Big Sky-best eight touchdowns. His 24 catches are a team-best for an offense rushing for 281 yards per game. And Patterson’s 383 receiving yards lead MSU and rank ninth in the league. .
“The biggest thing about Willie’s story is seeing a guy say ‘I have one more shot at this’. And you can’t just snap your fingers and become this player he’s become,” Montana State second-year head coach Brent Vigen said in early October.
“He’s really continued to work at his game…He’s taken coaching and he’s craving those opportunities to make plays. He’s becoming a tough guy to defend.”
Stardom affirmed. But that’s not why Willie Patterson came to Montana State. He came to Bozeman with other motives. He wanted to be the next in line to represent his family’s football lineage, following in his father Pat’s footsteps.
And Patterson wanted a way out. He did not want to succumb to the temptations and dangers of the inner-city streets in Tacoma. And he did not want to suffer the same fate as his brother, Ryan Harlan, who passed away from complications stemming from alcoholism in April of 2015.
“When I lost my brother in high school, it’s one of those things that’s pushed me over the edge because I realized, this football thing, I have to make it work,” Patterson said in early October 2022, emotion in his voice when speaking of his mother, Lisa’s, oldest son, who passed away at the age of 27. “He was an all-state quarterback (at Olympia High) and had the opportunity and he ended up passing away so I’m just making sure I can live out his legacy and also mine.”
Harlan was only one part of the family’s football upbringing. Pat Patterson, a Hall of Fame running back at Central Washington during his All-American career in the late 1980s, knew the structure of sports would be a key element to help Willie and his friends stay away from the pitfalls.
“Where I grew up, it was tough, definitely,” Patterson said with both pride and reservation in his voice. “We didn’t have the best education coming up. My PE got cut in fifth grade just because of funds.
“I lived in a tough area but my mom and my dad consistently worked hard and put food on the table and gave us a roof over our heads. There was a distraction of gangs and violence and drug use right down from the corner of my house.”
Pat Patterson started a little league football program in Tacoma in the mid-1990s. The elder Patterson knew that if he kept the kids involved in sports of some sort — and Willie remembers little league football rolling into youth basketball rolling into baseball and track — it would “keep us in the right head space.”
“I had a couple of guys from little league football who are in jail, in prison for life so I’ve seen guys take the wrong path,” Willie Patterson said. “I stayed on the right path. I was not able to sit around, hang around with the wrong group of guys. My dad kept me and my friends tight. He knew what was going around in the city and he wanted to make sure that if we could use football and all these other sports to keep kids out of trouble, he would do it.”
Pat Patterson was not only a dedicated father, coach and mentor. He was also a local legend in the Tacoma area. To this day, his career at CWU commands reverence. He is still the only running back in Central Washington history with more than 2,000 yards in a single season.
In 2004, when he was inducted into the CWU Hall of Fame, he was second in school history with 3,266 rushing yards and 39 career touchdowns. In 1989, Patterson ran the ball 321 times for 2,063 yards and 27 touchdowns, both of which are school records, earning himself NAIA and Daktronics First-Team All-America honors. As a junior, Patterson rushed for 1,203 yards and was named to the NAIA All-America Team as a honorable mention selection.
Now, no matter how well Willie plays, Pat is the first to give him fine tuning, the son said. A good catch? Ball was in the wrong hand. Sweet move in the open field? Always watch for the cutback lane.
Pat put a football in Willie’s hands when he was a newborn, let him quarterback the fourth-grade team when he was just a third-grader and provided him a variety of opportunities like the Northwest 9 QB Academy — “I thought I was going to be the next Russell Wilson,” Willie remembers — and the chance to train at Ford Sports Performance, a renowned training facility in the Sea-Tac area run by reputable trainer Tracy Ford.
“Football is all we know,” Patterson said. “Saturday afternoons, Friday night lights, it’s all we have known for years. Growing up, I’ve been watching my older brothers and when I knew it was my time, I wanted to put on a show for my family to make them proud.”
It’s been apparent to Montana State wide receivers coach Justin Udy since he arrived at MSU a few years ago how much Patterson plays for something bigger than himself. It’s been a crucial part of his development under Udy’s tutelage.
“It all starts with the amount of work Willie puts in,” Udy said. “His family is very, very supportive of him. He is pushed really hard at home to keep getting better. His dad was a phenomenal player in college and he knows what it takes and I think he has shared that message with Willie.”
During his high school career, Patterson wore No. 7 to honor his father. It also seemed like a fitting number for Franklin Pierce High’s first-team all-state all-purpose quarterback.
His junior and senior years, Patterson lead the 2A South Puget Sound League in all-purpose yards and was a first-team All-State selection as a senior. He was also a standout in basketball and track, helping him earn Tacoma Athlete of the Year honors.
But Patterson, for all his athletic gifts like quickness, speed, swagger and savvy, is all of 5-foot-9 and weighed about 165 pounds coming out of high school. Many college football programs flirted. Hardly any pulled the trigger.
Former Montana State defensive coach Kane Ioane was one of the most interested. Yet Patterson didn’t field an offer from the Bobcats until two days before signing day. Still, former MSU head coach Jeff Choate sung Patterson’s praises on National Signing Day.
“Willie was one of the more productive players in recent history in the Tacoma area. His stats are off the charts, and he’s kind of a Swiss Army knife. He played quarterback, but how many times do you see quarterbacks who return punts and kickoffs and play defense? He kind of did everything, and he’s a guy that can play a lot of positions,” Choate said. “I think he’s got the ability to be a really good slot receiver, can add value on special teams in the return game, and he’s an excellent leader. I think he’s going to add some edge and some swagger to our roster. He’s a very confident young man who I think is going to have a very nice career here.”
That was in February of 2017. After a redshirt year that following fall — current MSU seniors James Campbell, RJ Fitzgerald, Callahan O’Reilly, Kyle Rygg and Tyrel Thomas are the others who made it to their final years this season — Patterson was one of the breakout players of spring ball in 2018.
His mega-watt smile, smooth conversation and slick moves in the open field made him an instant media darling.
That next fall, however, the quarterback drama that was one of the dominant story lines of the Choate era hit a fever pitch as linebacker turned running back Troy Andersen added quarterback to his resume. Patterson, who had 19 catches for 204 yards at that point of the season, suffered a broken collarbone against Weber State in the seventh game of the year.
He was able to make it back for the FCS Playoffs (MSU’s first berth since 2014) but the Bobcats ran into a buzzsaw, losing 52-10 to North Dakota State in Fargo in the second round.
The following year, Patterson again had his season cut in half, this time with just seven catches to his credit. Travis Jonsen, a former five-star quarterback turned wide receiver, was dominating while Kevin Kassis, a four-year starter, was in the process of blossoming into one of MSU’s all-time best pass catchers as well.
Patterson broke his other clavicle in September of that year. He again returned for the stretch run but had a hard time finding a place in the rotation.
“In less than a year, I ended up with 12 screws and two plates in my collarbones,” Patterson said.
“It plays with your mental for sure and tests you if you really love this game because it’s hard. Your character is defined with how you handle those down moments. A lot of my teammates supporting me throughout it.
“It was very stressful knowing I was preparing so hard every off-season and spring ball and balling out and then boom, getting it taken away from me.”
Before last season, many thought it would be Patterson, not McCutcheon, who became MSU’s go-to receiver in Vigen’s first year. Patterson certainly carved out a role, becoming Montana State’s primary punt returner. He also was a reliable option on offense, catching 30 passes for 375 yards and three scores primarily operating out of the slot.
But McCutcheon grabbed all the headlines and earned All-American honors.
“I have tried to keep the mindset of being resilient, keeping going, and making sure when I get my opportunity, I’m ready,” Patterson said. “I never let those injuries overtake me. I used them as motivation to keep going.”
Part of Patterson’s emergence this season has come from elevated opportunity. Part of it has come from improved strength, speed and explosiveness in the weight room. And part of that physical transformation was essential because Patterson moved from slot to outside receiver. That move to the outside has helped Patterson replace McCutcheon as MSU’s deep ball catching specialist, which he’s made a habit of despite his 5-foot-9 frame.
“Speed gains are important but it’s almost more important for him to get bigger and stronger because he isn’t your prototypical size for an outside receiver,” MSU strength coach Sean Herrin said in a text to Skyline Sports. “He plays much bigger than he is and it’s paying off for him.”
In Montana State’s 41-24 win over UC Davis, Patterson had a moment in the game where he dropped a near highlight reel catch, something he’s made a habit of this year. According to several of his coaches, Patterson is his sharpest critic. In the past, such a near-miss would derail him mentally.
On the first Saturday in October though, Patterson made an even better catch shortly after, sprawling all the way out for a diving grab of a slightly over-thrown ball by quarterback Sean Chambers for a 34-yard gain. Chambers stayed with Patterson shortly after, hitting him with an 18-yard touchdown strike to put MSU up 21-10.
“That sequence was a perfect picture of his maturity,” Vigen said. “A few years back, with that drop, he might’ve gone in the tank. But this year, he owns the drop and two or three plays later, he makes an incredible catch and the next play, he scores a touchdown.”
Another sign of his maturation comes from his ability to harness his substantial confidence. In the past, Patterson yapped a lot but didn’t have the touchdowns and highlights to back it up. His coaches and his teammates are the first to acknowledge his personality. And they all agree, it’s one of his biggest advantages.
“He’s always been one of the high-energy guys on the team and he’s always talked a lot of smack and I think a lot of the older guys kind of shied away from that, but getting to know Willie a little more, that’s the atmosphere he grew up in,” MSU senior captain fullback R.J. Fitzgerald said. “The guys he trains with, they love to talk but they also back it up. He’s done a really good job of growing into a leader and backing it up.”
“He’s a unique personality and he might love himself at times,” Udy added. “That’s where Willie draws his confidence from.”
Vigen is about as mild-mannered as football coaches come these days, although he did light into an official on what looked like a pass interference of Patterson during a blowout of Idaho State earlier this month. But that’s besides the point. MSU’s head man is also proud of how Patterson has transformed into a true leader for a team that is currently ranked No. 3 in the Football Championship Subdivision.
“His confidence and playing on edge and walking that line — he’s not blessed with great size by any means but he knows who he is — pushing it up to that line is what allows him to have success,” Vigen said. “There’s a different maturity about him this year compared to last year.
“He’s definitely one of the guys who leads our team when it comes to talking, but he’s doing a great job of riding that edge.”
If Patterson continues his torrid pace, MSU’s single-season receiving touchdown record is in reach. Sam McCullum caught 12 scores 50 years ago. Patterson is likely already a shoo-in for All-Big Sky honors. Can he earn first-team? It remains to be seen.
More than the production, it’s Patterson’s growth as a man that Udy is most proud of.
“I couldn’t be prouder of him, truly,” Udy said. “He’s a great leader in our room and he’s a different person than he was two years ago when I got here. And that’s why we do it: to see guys like Willie work hard for their opportunity and when they get their shot, take advantage of it.”
For all of his bravado, Patterson is also self-aware, selfless and magnetic in his way of interacting with others. And when asked what he will take from the years trying to carry on the memories of those that came before him, he doesn’t talk about the touchdowns or the first-down catches or even the wins.
He talks about the lessons learned and the experiences shared.
“This journey has taught me to be a man,” Patterson said. “It’s taught me time management. It’s taught me to put work in even if it’s going your way or not. Even if you aren’t getting that raise at work, it applies to all types of life. Keep going.
“That hard work Montana State has put me through of just the snow, the workouts, grinding through the hard times. Teaching me how to pay bills, clean the house, it’s all part of it. It’s taught me to be a better leader, to take these young guys, show them what this program is about, what our core values are.
“And it’s taught me how to lift guys up. Because I’ve been down. I’ve been sad. I’ve been injured. I’ve had to focus up and have to lock in to get back to where you need to be.
“Coming from an inner city, I never, ever thought I’d be out here in Bozeman. But it’s taught me so much I don’t think I’d ever have learned in that inner city. It’s allowed me to have some space and truly figure who I want to be and what kind of person I want to be on and off the field.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez or noted. All Rights Reserved.
