Defensive end Kenny Willekes, Michigan State (msuspartans.com)
Michigan Panthers defensive end Kenny Willekes is looking forward to the upcoming UFL season. Mostly, he is excited about the opportunity to play on a fast, aggressive defensive squad.
“We got a good group of guys this year – defense is gonna be fast, physical, aggressive,” Willekes said. “We’re excited about the people we have on the team. We’re gonna be able to compete for a championship and we’re gonna have a lot of fun.”
Willekes is a Michigan native, attending NorthPointe Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and playing college football at Michigan State.
“The biggest reason for me signing with the Michigan Panthers was to come back and play in front of that fan base and play in front of my family and friends,” Willekes said. “You know, Michigan State fans were amazing. They always packed the ‘Woodshed’ Spartan Stadium and brought a lot of energy.”
Willekes joined Michigan State University as a walk-on in 2015. He redshirted his first year and played in one game in 2016. In 2017, Willekes became a started 12 of 13 games and racked up 72 tackles and seven sacks. In 2018, he recording 78 tackles and 8.5 sacks and was named the Big Ten Conference Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year. In 2019, his senior year, he broke the school record for career tackles for loss.
in the 2020 NFL Draft, Willekes was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 225th pick in the seventh round. His rookie season with the Vikings saw a setback when he was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2020. In the 2021 season, Willekes was waived by the Vikings and re-signed to the practice squad. He was finally promoted to the active roster on January 8, 2022. The injury bug saw Willekes being placed on the injured reserve list in 2023.
On December 8, 2023, Willekes signed with the Michigan Panthers. He now sees the UFL as a chance to get pro football playing time and, at the very least, a chance to get back to Ford Field.
“Ford Field is a great place to play,” Willekes said. “I played there. When I was with Minnesota a couple years ago and Detroit fans always come out. It’s always loud and gets rockin’ in there, and the opportunity to play on that big stage, we’re grateful for that and excited and ready to get out there.”
In the Panthers training camp Willekes pointed out how the defense is now honing in on the little techniques and fine tuning the way they play ball.
“Running to the ball fast, physical, aggressive, and making sure we put those, to get that down on film and get that down on tape ready for game one,” Willekes said.
Willekes understands the importance of preparation, and starting fast in the relatively short UFL season.
“At the end of the day, it just comes down to playing football, no matter how many games you get. But, with only having 10 games you have limited opportunities. Making sure that from week one to week ten, we come out firing every single game, giving everything we got, because with only ten games there’s no need to hold back,” Willekes said.
“We need to come out and make sure we’re firing from week one,” Willekes said.
The Michigan Panthers play their first home game when the host the St. Louis Battlehawks at Ford Field on Saturday, March 30 at 4:00 PM (ET).
