About Inductee

Willard Scissum attended Lee High School and played football for Coach Glen Nunley. While at Lee, he lettered in football, wrestling and track and made the Football All-City team in 1979 and 1980. He also was named the Most Valuable Offensive and Defensive Lineman both his Junior and Senior year at Lee. He was selected to play in the 1981 Alabama High School All-Star game. After graduation, Willard signed a football scholarship with the University of Alabama. During his time at Alabama, he lettered all four years and was known for his good technique and quickness off the ball. Willard played in eight games as a freshman and started ten games in Coach Bryant's last season at the University of Alabama. During his junior and senior year, he was the anchor of the offensive line for Coach Ray Perkins and in 1984 was voted the Paul Crane Most Improved Lineman. Willard had the opportunity to play in the Cotton Bowl, the Liberty Bowl and the Sun Bowl during his career. After finishing his playing days at the Capstone, Willard signed with the National Football League Denver Broncos in 1985. In 1987 Willard ended his NFL career with the Washington Redskins. While at the Redskins, Willard was selected as captain of the 1987 strike team. In 1988, he moved back to Huntsville to finish his degree program at Alabama A&M. In 1994, Willard went back to the University of Alabama as a graduate assistant in football and to work on his Master's Degree. Willard has the distinction of playing for Paul Bryant and Ray Perkins at the University of Alabama, and later coaching with Gene Stallings and Mike Dubose at Alabama. He received his Master's Degree, and in 1998 Willard moved on to be the assistant head football coach at Morehouse College, staying there until 2000. He left Morehouse College to accept the offensive coordinator position with Morris & Brown. Willard went back to Morehouse College in 2002 as the head coach and coached there for four years until he resigned due to health reasons. Willard, his wife Ellen, and their son Willard, Jr., live in Marietta, Georgia, where Willard works with the Atlanta City School System and coaches the offensive line at Clark-Atlanta University.