There was a familiar face on the Levi's Stadium sidelines as the San Francisco 49ers faced the New York Jets. Former 49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis was there to cheer on his former teammates. Joe Fann of 49ers Media posted the following photo of Willis via Twitter.
Willis was the special guest that kicked off the game by sounding the traditional foghorn to energizing the crowd. It is a tradition that was brought over from Candlestick Park.
Update:
Willis was in charge of sounding the foghorn throughout the game.
In March of 2015, Willis was among the numerous 49ers players to retire that offseason. The group included players like Justin Smith and the man who was thought to replace Willis, Chris Borland, who retired shortly after.
Willis was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. During his career, he was selected to seven Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro five times. In 2007, he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Willis finished his rookie campaign with an NFL-leading 174 total tackles and played at a high level throughout his career.
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