2017 Football Roster
Roster
Willis, Khari
CB
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Jersey Number 27
Khari Willis
- Position:
- S
- Height:
- 6-null
- Weight:
- 215
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Jackson, Mich.
- High School:
- Lumen Christi
Bio
Final Bio (PDF) | Game-by-Game Statistics: 2015 | 2016 | 2017
CAREER NOTES: Four-year letterwinner played in 46 career games, including 30 starting assignments at safety . . . selected by the Colts in the fourth round (No. 109 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft . . . ended his career with 26 straight starts at safety in 2017 and 2018 . . . voted a team captain in 2018 . . . recorded 196 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, along with four interceptions and 16 pass break-ups in his career . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in social science, with an emphasis on community governance and advocacy, in December 2018 . . . named a semifinalist for the 2018 National Football Foundation National-Scholar Athlete Class . . . was the keynote player speaker at the 2018 Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago and delivered an inspirational speech calling on his fellow Big Ten players to make a difference in their communities; he received a standing ovation and video of his speech went viral across social media . . . selected one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award; to be eligible for the prestigious award – which former Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins won in 2011 – a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition . . . also named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, presented annually to the player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement . . . nominated for the Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team for his community service . . . two-year member of the team’s Eagles leadership council . . . volunteered his time at several community events, including the King Community Center in his hometown of Jackson, Michigan, where his father, John, is the director.
2018 SEASON (SENIOR): Started all 13 games for the second year in a row and collected a career-high 84 tackles and 10 pass break-ups on a defense that ranked No. 8 in the FBS in scoring defense and No. 10 in total defense . . . led the secondary and ranked third on the team in tackles (84), tied for team lead with two interceptions, and ranked second with 10 pass break-ups . . . ranked tied for seventh in Big Ten in pass break-ups (10) . . . second-team All-Big Ten choice by Pro Football Focus . . . earned third-team All-Big Ten by the media and Athlon Sports, and honorable mention by the coaches . . . earned three awards at the team awards banquet: MSU Biggie Munn Award (most inspirational: defense), the MSU Football Players Association Community Service Award, and the MSU Captains Award . . . named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 15) for his performance at Penn State . . . ranked second among defensive backs and seventh on defense in production points (131) in the regular season . . . tied a career high with three pass break-ups in his final collegiate game vs. Oregon in the Redbox Bowl; also had three solo tackles against the Ducks . . . logged four stops in Rutgers game . . . posted six tackles, including 0.5 TFL, and added one pass break-up at Nebraska, tallying 11 production points . . . registered career-high 15 tackles against Ohio State, for his fourth double-figure tackle total, adding 0.5 TFL . . . logged team-leading nine tackles at Maryland, posting secondary-leading 10 production points . . . recorded three tackles and one QB hurry vs. Purdue, including one a key fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter; named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week against the Boilermakers . . . posted eight stops with two pass break-ups in Michigan game . . . named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 15 for his performance at Penn State, leading the Spartans with a season-high nine tackles, including seven solo stops, and also forced a fumble on PSU quarterback Trace McSorley in the first quarter; also recorded his team-leading fifth pass break-up of the season later in the game . . . logged five tackles with one INT against Northwestern, with oskie coming in first quarter that set up MSU’s first FG of game . . . named to Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week after registering five tackles and one pass break-up vs. Central Michigan; notched 12 production points to lead secondary against CMU . . . started game at Indiana at strong safety, logging four tackles, all solo stops . . . started Arizona State game at safety and posted six stops . . . started opener vs. Utah State and tallied seven tackles and one interception, returning it career-long 20 yards, and added career-best three pass break-ups, tying career totals for interception return yards and pass break-ups . . . his interception came early in the second quarter and set up MSU for a touchdown on Spartans’ ensuing offensive drive . . . named the MSU Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Utah State.
2017 SEASON (JUNIOR): Named honorable mention All-Big Ten by both the coaches and the media . . . named recipient of the MSU Jim Adams Award (unsung hero: defensive player) . . . started all 13 games at boundary safety, recording 71 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss with 4.0 sacks . . . snared two interceptions to go with three pass break-ups in addition to one forced fumble . . . had six or more tackles in eight of the 13 games . . . ranked fourth on the team with 120 production points during the regular season . . . snared an interception in the fourth quarter of the Holiday Bowl against No. 18 Washington State . . . registered a team-best three tackles at Rutgers . . . tallied two tackles, with one sack and forced fumble against Maryland . . . recorded six stops at No. 11 Ohio State . . . had 11 tackles in win over No. 7 Penn State, adding one sack and one pass break-up to finishing with season-high 25 production points, leading the defense . . . accumulated six stops with one sack at Northwestern, notching 11 production points . . . logged seven stops, including one tackle for loss against Indiana, logging 17 production points, ranking second among defensive back corps . . . tallied two tackles and snared first career interception at Minnesota, returning it 19 yards; also recovered an onside kick in the fourth quarter . . . shared team-leading and game-leading honors with a season-high 10 stops against No. 7 Michigan . . . registered six stops in Iowa game, including first career sack and added a pass break-up, finishing with 11 production points to lead the defensive backs and rank third on defense . . . logged seven stops, including first career half a tackle for loss, vs. Notre Dame . . . named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week against Western Michigan after he led defensive backs and second on defense with eight stops against Western Michigan, adding one pass break-up, ending with 21 production points, leading the secondary and ranking third on the defense . . . posted three tackles in Bowling Green game.
2016 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Recorded 30 tackles and two pass break-ups in 11 games, including one start (Michigan) . . . Academic All-Big Ten selection . . . presented the Harold & Raynor Shnider Office of the Provost Award (male recipient) at the Student-Athlete Support Services Academic Excellence Gala; the honor is given to a freshman or sophomore student-athlete who embodies the characteristics promoted by SASS, with emphasis on academic performance, community involvement and leadership ability . . . ranked second on the team with six tackles on special teams . . . played more than 170 snaps at safety . . . notched three tackles, including two on special teams vs. Rutgers, earning Spartans’ Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors . . . started against No. 2 Michigan at boundary safety and logged one tackle and one pass break-up . . . registered season-high 11 tackles and one pass break-up at Maryland while playing a season-high 51 snaps . . . tallied six tackles vs. Northwestern . . . logged two tackles vs. BYU . . . posted one tackle at No. 18 Notre Dame and also registered first fumble recovery of his career, falling on a fumble on a punt in the second quarter . . . logged four tackles vs. Furman.
2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman played in nine games, including three starts at safety (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) . . . broke his foot in practice prior to the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa and missed the last two games of the season . . . had 11 tackles and one pass break-up . . . collected two stops at No. 2 Ohio State . . . had a season-high four tackles vs. Indiana . . . entered the starting lineup in Week 7 against Michigan; had three tackles against the Wolverines . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Michigan . . . saw his first action in Week 4 against Central Michigan.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated among the nation’s top safeties by Scout.com (No. 50) . . . ranked among the country’s top athletes by 247Sports.com (No. 57) . . . listed among the state’s top seniors by The Detroit News (No. 4), 247Sports.com (No. 9), Lansing State Journal (No. 10), Detroit Free Press (No. 14), Scout.com (No. 14) and ESPN.com (No. 17) . . . three-year starter for Coach Herb Brogan at Lumen Christi High School in Jackson, Michigan . . . named finalist for the 2014 Michigan High School Player of the Year by The Ann Arbor News . . . selected Division 5-6 Player of the Year by The Associated Press . . . named to The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press Dream Team . . . earned Jackson Citizen Patriot Player of the Year honors for the second straight year . . . set Lumen Christi single-game, single-season and career rushing records as a senior . . . rushed 241 times for 2,800 yards (11.6 avg.) and 31 touchdowns in 2014 . . . recorded nine 200-yard rushing games as a senior . . . carried 51 times for a school-record 421 yards in a 27-26 loss in the regional final to eventual Division 6 state champion Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central . . . gained 270 yards on 26 attempts and scored three TDs in Division 6 district final vs. Hillsdale . . . AP Division 5-6 all-state selection after rushing for 1,262 yards and 22 TDs as a junior . . . amassed 4,432 career rushing yards . . . also lettered in basketball for the Titans . . . son of John and Mary Willis . . . born May 7, 1996.
CAREER NOTES: Four-year letterwinner played in 46 career games, including 30 starting assignments at safety . . . selected by the Colts in the fourth round (No. 109 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft . . . ended his career with 26 straight starts at safety in 2017 and 2018 . . . voted a team captain in 2018 . . . recorded 196 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, along with four interceptions and 16 pass break-ups in his career . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in social science, with an emphasis on community governance and advocacy, in December 2018 . . . named a semifinalist for the 2018 National Football Foundation National-Scholar Athlete Class . . . was the keynote player speaker at the 2018 Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago and delivered an inspirational speech calling on his fellow Big Ten players to make a difference in their communities; he received a standing ovation and video of his speech went viral across social media . . . selected one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award; to be eligible for the prestigious award – which former Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins won in 2011 – a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition . . . also named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, presented annually to the player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement . . . nominated for the Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team for his community service . . . two-year member of the team’s Eagles leadership council . . . volunteered his time at several community events, including the King Community Center in his hometown of Jackson, Michigan, where his father, John, is the director.
2018 SEASON (SENIOR): Started all 13 games for the second year in a row and collected a career-high 84 tackles and 10 pass break-ups on a defense that ranked No. 8 in the FBS in scoring defense and No. 10 in total defense . . . led the secondary and ranked third on the team in tackles (84), tied for team lead with two interceptions, and ranked second with 10 pass break-ups . . . ranked tied for seventh in Big Ten in pass break-ups (10) . . . second-team All-Big Ten choice by Pro Football Focus . . . earned third-team All-Big Ten by the media and Athlon Sports, and honorable mention by the coaches . . . earned three awards at the team awards banquet: MSU Biggie Munn Award (most inspirational: defense), the MSU Football Players Association Community Service Award, and the MSU Captains Award . . . named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 15) for his performance at Penn State . . . ranked second among defensive backs and seventh on defense in production points (131) in the regular season . . . tied a career high with three pass break-ups in his final collegiate game vs. Oregon in the Redbox Bowl; also had three solo tackles against the Ducks . . . logged four stops in Rutgers game . . . posted six tackles, including 0.5 TFL, and added one pass break-up at Nebraska, tallying 11 production points . . . registered career-high 15 tackles against Ohio State, for his fourth double-figure tackle total, adding 0.5 TFL . . . logged team-leading nine tackles at Maryland, posting secondary-leading 10 production points . . . recorded three tackles and one QB hurry vs. Purdue, including one a key fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter; named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week against the Boilermakers . . . posted eight stops with two pass break-ups in Michigan game . . . named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 15 for his performance at Penn State, leading the Spartans with a season-high nine tackles, including seven solo stops, and also forced a fumble on PSU quarterback Trace McSorley in the first quarter; also recorded his team-leading fifth pass break-up of the season later in the game . . . logged five tackles with one INT against Northwestern, with oskie coming in first quarter that set up MSU’s first FG of game . . . named to Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week after registering five tackles and one pass break-up vs. Central Michigan; notched 12 production points to lead secondary against CMU . . . started game at Indiana at strong safety, logging four tackles, all solo stops . . . started Arizona State game at safety and posted six stops . . . started opener vs. Utah State and tallied seven tackles and one interception, returning it career-long 20 yards, and added career-best three pass break-ups, tying career totals for interception return yards and pass break-ups . . . his interception came early in the second quarter and set up MSU for a touchdown on Spartans’ ensuing offensive drive . . . named the MSU Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Utah State.
2017 SEASON (JUNIOR): Named honorable mention All-Big Ten by both the coaches and the media . . . named recipient of the MSU Jim Adams Award (unsung hero: defensive player) . . . started all 13 games at boundary safety, recording 71 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss with 4.0 sacks . . . snared two interceptions to go with three pass break-ups in addition to one forced fumble . . . had six or more tackles in eight of the 13 games . . . ranked fourth on the team with 120 production points during the regular season . . . snared an interception in the fourth quarter of the Holiday Bowl against No. 18 Washington State . . . registered a team-best three tackles at Rutgers . . . tallied two tackles, with one sack and forced fumble against Maryland . . . recorded six stops at No. 11 Ohio State . . . had 11 tackles in win over No. 7 Penn State, adding one sack and one pass break-up to finishing with season-high 25 production points, leading the defense . . . accumulated six stops with one sack at Northwestern, notching 11 production points . . . logged seven stops, including one tackle for loss against Indiana, logging 17 production points, ranking second among defensive back corps . . . tallied two tackles and snared first career interception at Minnesota, returning it 19 yards; also recovered an onside kick in the fourth quarter . . . shared team-leading and game-leading honors with a season-high 10 stops against No. 7 Michigan . . . registered six stops in Iowa game, including first career sack and added a pass break-up, finishing with 11 production points to lead the defensive backs and rank third on defense . . . logged seven stops, including first career half a tackle for loss, vs. Notre Dame . . . named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week against Western Michigan after he led defensive backs and second on defense with eight stops against Western Michigan, adding one pass break-up, ending with 21 production points, leading the secondary and ranking third on the defense . . . posted three tackles in Bowling Green game.
2016 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Recorded 30 tackles and two pass break-ups in 11 games, including one start (Michigan) . . . Academic All-Big Ten selection . . . presented the Harold & Raynor Shnider Office of the Provost Award (male recipient) at the Student-Athlete Support Services Academic Excellence Gala; the honor is given to a freshman or sophomore student-athlete who embodies the characteristics promoted by SASS, with emphasis on academic performance, community involvement and leadership ability . . . ranked second on the team with six tackles on special teams . . . played more than 170 snaps at safety . . . notched three tackles, including two on special teams vs. Rutgers, earning Spartans’ Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors . . . started against No. 2 Michigan at boundary safety and logged one tackle and one pass break-up . . . registered season-high 11 tackles and one pass break-up at Maryland while playing a season-high 51 snaps . . . tallied six tackles vs. Northwestern . . . logged two tackles vs. BYU . . . posted one tackle at No. 18 Notre Dame and also registered first fumble recovery of his career, falling on a fumble on a punt in the second quarter . . . logged four tackles vs. Furman.
2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): True freshman played in nine games, including three starts at safety (Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska) . . . broke his foot in practice prior to the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa and missed the last two games of the season . . . had 11 tackles and one pass break-up . . . collected two stops at No. 2 Ohio State . . . had a season-high four tackles vs. Indiana . . . entered the starting lineup in Week 7 against Michigan; had three tackles against the Wolverines . . . named one of three Spartan unsung heroes of the game vs. Michigan . . . saw his first action in Week 4 against Central Michigan.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated among the nation’s top safeties by Scout.com (No. 50) . . . ranked among the country’s top athletes by 247Sports.com (No. 57) . . . listed among the state’s top seniors by The Detroit News (No. 4), 247Sports.com (No. 9), Lansing State Journal (No. 10), Detroit Free Press (No. 14), Scout.com (No. 14) and ESPN.com (No. 17) . . . three-year starter for Coach Herb Brogan at Lumen Christi High School in Jackson, Michigan . . . named finalist for the 2014 Michigan High School Player of the Year by The Ann Arbor News . . . selected Division 5-6 Player of the Year by The Associated Press . . . named to The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press Dream Team . . . earned Jackson Citizen Patriot Player of the Year honors for the second straight year . . . set Lumen Christi single-game, single-season and career rushing records as a senior . . . rushed 241 times for 2,800 yards (11.6 avg.) and 31 touchdowns in 2014 . . . recorded nine 200-yard rushing games as a senior . . . carried 51 times for a school-record 421 yards in a 27-26 loss in the regional final to eventual Division 6 state champion Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central . . . gained 270 yards on 26 attempts and scored three TDs in Division 6 district final vs. Hillsdale . . . AP Division 5-6 all-state selection after rushing for 1,262 yards and 22 TDs as a junior . . . amassed 4,432 career rushing yards . . . also lettered in basketball for the Titans . . . son of John and Mary Willis . . . born May 7, 1996.
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