The Georgia Southern Eagles added former NFL wide receiver Damion Willis to their coaching staff. Willis was added to the staff as a grad assistant and will work with the receivers. He’ll work with newly acquired passing game coordinator Clint Trickett in keeping the passing game near the top of college football’s highest division.
Willis had a professional career spanning four years between the NFL and the XFL. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. He ended up starting for the Bengals in their week one game in place of injured A.J. Green and had three catches for 30 yards. He played ten games for the Bengals that season. Playing under head coach Zac Taylor who led the Bengals to back-to-back AFC Championship games certainly helps his resume.
After his stint with the Bengals, Willis played with six more NFL teams. Afterward, he went to the XFL and played under coaching great Jim Haslett for the Seattle Sea Dragons. There, he helped Seattle make the XFL semi-finals, and aided in leading them to a 7-3 record. Willis played college football at East Mississippi Community College before transferring to Troy. With the Trojans, he caught 98 passes, for 1,496 yards, and 13 touchdowns in two seasons. At Troy, Willis played for another prominent coach Neal Brown, who is the current head coach at West Virginia.
This is a promising addition for Georgia Southern and head coach Clay Helton. Willis brings experience from playing in pro packages and will help develop the receivers for the Eagles. He’s played under some very successful coaches in his playing career and will bring that knowledge to the table in Statesboro. The Eagles will start their spring practice on March 19.