Browns beat the Giants 8–3 and went on to win the NFL championship in 1950. Willis was one of seven Browns players chosen for the first-ever Pro Bowl that year. The 1951 and 1952 seasons were equally successful for Willis, although the Browns lost in the NFL championship to the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. He was an all-pro selection and was named to the Pro Bowl in both years. In 1953, when the Browns lost a third championship game in a row, Willis was named an all-pro but did not make the Pro Bowl. Both Willis and Motley retired after the 1953 season. Willis was 32 years old and had played eight seasons for the Browns, earning all-pro honors every year he played. He was the best player on a strong defense that was crucial to Cleveland's success in the AAFC and NFL. He was also the embodiment of what Brown looked for in his players: speed and intelligence instead of size. At around 210 pounds, he was small for a lineman, even in his era. Willis's play as a powerful but quick middle guard influenced the development of the modern linebacker position. "In my opinion Bill ranks as one of the outstanding linemen in the history of professional football", Brown said when he retired. "He certainly was the fastest and many coaches use his technique as a model in teaching line play." Later career and death Willis retired because he wanted to concentrate on other activities; he had become a popular figure in Ohio and worked with youth in Cleveland and Columbus. He accepted a $6,570-a-year job as Cleveland's assistant recreation commissioner. "This is the type of work I want to do, working with kids", he said. By the late 1970s, he was the chairman of the Ohio Youth Commission, a state agency created to combat criminality among young people. He died in 2007. He was married to Odessa Porter until her death in 2002. The couple had three sons, William Jr., Clement and Dan. Honors and legacy Willis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. In 1977, he was inducted as a charter member of the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame. He was elected the same year to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ohio State University honored Willis on November 3, 2007 by retiring his #99 jersey. Willis was