Q&A: Jonathan”Tig” Willard is Happy with Plan B

Jonathan “Tig” Willard is a former Clemson Tigers and Tennessee Titans linebacker who is still on a professional team but not in the NFL, and he’s not wearing a helmet.

Willard was a standout football player and wrestler at Loris High in Loris, S.C. In 2008, he signed with Clemson football and redshirted for head coach Tommy Bowden. He saw playing time each year and led the team in tackles in 2012(95). For 2011 and 2012, he had combined totals of 170 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks and 10 pass breakups.

Willard wasn’t selected in the 2013 NFL draft, but he signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans. Although he never played in a game, Willard received national attention, when he saved a family from a car that later burst into flames.

He spent the season on the Titans’ practice squad but did not return for the 2014 season.

After spending time away from football and that even meant not attending any Clemson games, he reflected on his life and focused on finding another career path.

He is now working on the Chip Ganassi Racing team as a pit crew member and has already experienced a team victory.

Ironically, that first win came when driver Tyler Reddick took the checkered flag at the XFINITY series VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 in Kentucky. Willard’s hometown of Loris is less than 40 miles from Myrtle Beach.

How long have you been a pit crew member?

I have been training as a pit crew member for a little over a year now. I started with the NASCAR Pit Crew Diversity Program in August of 2016 where I trained twice a day with coach Phil Horton.

How long have you been with the Chip Ganassi Racing team?

This is my first year with Chip Ganassi Racing. I have been with them this whole season, and I actually signed my first contract in July. I was really excited about that.

Which drivers have you worked with on race day?

I have worked with a lot of drivers it seems like, but the first driver I worked with was Jamie McMurray in the #1 McDonald’s Chevy. That is my main car on cup day. The first car I actually jacked is the 07 Ray Black Jr XFINITY car which was at the Atlanta Speedway. I have also worked with Justin Haley in the Truck series and both Elliot Sadler and Brett Moffitt in the Cup series.

I will assume that you had the dream of being an NFL player. Can you recall that moment when you felt like it was time to move on from football?

Yeah, I always thought that I was going to play for a good five to 10 years. But due to injuries, I decided that it was more important to be able to play with my kids, when that time came. I did not want to be 35 feeling like I was 75, so I talked to my friends and family and decided that I was not going to try to go back.

What drew you to a career in motor sports? It’s not a sport that you typically associate with African Americans.

Growing up, I was always around cars and motorcycles. I was always at the drag strip and working on cars with my dad. Racing was life, and I guess it still is. Instead of drag racing, I wanted to try something a little different, so I joined the nascar racing experience and the Mario Andretti racing school. I really went there to network and to see how I could become a driver in NASCAR. But I was pretty much told by everyone that, unless, I had a ton of money that it was not going to happen. But that is also how I learned about the diversity program.

What is your position in the crew and give a quick synopsis of your duties during a pit stop.

In the pit crew, I am the Jackman. In football terms, I am the QB of the crew. My job is to make sure that everyone knows the play or plan. We have different plays for different situations. For instance, we might only change two tires instead of all 4 or we might only need one gas can instead of 2. During the stop, I have to jack the car up, so that changers and carriers can do their job. Sounds easy but there is a lot to it.

Like football, in motor sports, you are a part of a team. Can you point out one thing that is essential to helping your driver land in the winners’ circle?

We are all one team, from the driver to the crew chief, on down to the pit crew. We all have a specific job to do, and we are expected to do it to the best of our ability. We all have to believe in one another and have each other’s back. I feel like we have that here at Chip Ganassi Racing. I did a car once, and I felt like the people around did not believe in my ability to do my job. I could sense that from them too which is not a good feeling at all.

Any regrets of not doing what you initially wanted for a career?

I have no regrets. I honestly think I’m in the best place that I could actually be in at the moment. I love what I do, and I love the guys that I do it with. The environment is amazing, and I never regret getting up to go to work. It doesn’t even feel like work, because we have so much fun.

What or who helped you when you felt any disappointment over the realization that football wasn’t in your future anymore?

My best friend Jerod Wilson helped me out the most. I don’t really see him all the time but, every time, when we are together, we always have deep conversations about what’s going on in our lives. He just helped me realize that God is not going to leave me behind and that I did not fail and everyone is so proud of my accomplishments so far. He was sure that I wasn’t done yet. Of course, my parents also told me how proud they are of me, and that they had my back with whatever I wanted to do.

So there is no chance that you will become a driver?

I would love to be a driver but from all of the information that I am receiving on the cost of things. I don’t think it will happen.

Some NASCAR owners spoke out about NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem. As an African American and a former NFL player, what are your thoughts, if any, on the protests and what the NASCAR owners said about kneeling during the anthem?(I understand if you choose not to answer this question.)

I believe that what the players are doing is right, and they are doing it the right way. I believe and know that they are not protesting the flag. The flag is a way to get the real message across which is the injustice that is happening to African Americans and minorities in America. There are not many African Americans in NASCAR and all of us have families to take care of. At Chip Ganassi Racing, I am in a great environment, and we talk about a lot of things going on in the world. I have two coaches, one Canadian and the other is African American, so they look out for us and don’t let people try to take advantage of us.

You seem to be very happy with your career despite the fact that a lifelong dream had to end, to clear the way for your future happiness. But are you really done with football?

Yes. I am really happy with what I am doing. As long as, I keep God in everything that I do. I will be ok. It wasn’t easy but with God, family and friends. I was able to accept the fact that football is done. I am 27 years old. I have a long life to live. I couldn’t just stop right there. You have to keep pushing, praying and believing that everything is going to be alright. Life is more than just sports.

What do you think of the recent success of the Clemson football program?

I am really proud of the guys there. This journey started in 2008 when coach Swinney came in. He taught us how to believe in each other. He put us with a great staff which showed us how to be great football players, as well as, great men outside of the sport. With that said, we started to believe that we could beat anyone that we faced and that is what has happened. It started with my last game, when we beat LSU in the Chick-Fil-A bowl, and the team has been rolling every since. So I like to think that I had something to do with this national championship.