** ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS,OCT. 10-11 ** In this photo taken on Oct. 4, 2009, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (52) reacts against the St. Louis Rams during an NFL football game in San Francisco. When Mike Singletary talks to Patrick Willis about his potential, the 49ers coach tells him he could one day be a better linebacker than the Hall of Famer himself. That's the ultimate vote of confidence. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When Mike Singletary talks to Patrick Willis about his potential, the 49ers coach tells him he could one day be a better linebacker than the Hall of Famer himself.
Now that's the ultimate vote of confidence. Whether or not it's the case, only time will tell. Singletary was one of the greats, winning a Super Bowl win during a spectacular 12-year career with the Chicago Bears. Willis is all of 24, a third-year pro on the rise who is quickly showing he's a game-changing defender with his speed, explosiveness and grit.
"He doesn't come right out and say it but he sometimes tells me that if I continue to work and continue to be humble and continue to believe and do things right, then I can be one of the elite linebackers to ever play," Willis said. "To hear that from him means a lot, because he's a Hall of Fame guy."
Some of Willis' teammates see him as a young Ray Lewis, another nice ego boost for an emerging star.
Willis was a menacing presence all over the field in San Francisco's 35-0 rout of St. Louis last Sunday, the 49ers' first shutout in 119 games since Jan. 6, 2002.
He's the heart of a defense largely to credit for San Francisco's spot atop the NFC West standings. The 49ers are off to their best start since capturing the division in '02, their last winning season.
"He can be better than me. He's an athlete," Singletary said. "I wasn't a 4.3 (40-yard dash) athlete. That's special."
Against the Rams, Willis had eight tackles - five solo and three for loss - 2 1/2 sacks against fill-in starter Kyle Boller, and a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown.
"Today was just a day where you just say, 'Wow,"' Willis said afterward, crediting the entire defense in his modest and unassuming way.
That touchdown? Well, Singletary didn't have many of those.
"Not an interception returned for a touchdown," the coach said. "Those didn't come very often for me. Hands like rocks."
Willis' fire on the field rubs off on the rest of the defense, a strong point for the 49ers so far. Willis blitzed untouched on several occasions and had three other hits on Boller aside from his sacks.
"It fired us up," linebacker Manny Lawson said.
The Niners selected Willis 11th overall in the first round of the 2007 draft out of Ole Miss. He was a Pro Bowler in each of his first two NFL seasons. If he keeps playing like this, he'll surely be there again.
"Ah, man, unbelievable," linebacker Parys Haralson said of Willis. "It's amazing some of the things he's able to do."
It was Willis who in Week 2 knocked Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck out of the game in a 23-10 win over the Seahawks. Willis' hit - he later said it was clean and he was sorry Hasselbeck got hurt, but that's part of the game - near the goal line just before halftime sent Hasselbeck to the locker room with a broken rib. He hasn't played since, though the Seahawks hoped to have him back Sunday against Jacksonville.
"I'm glad he's on my team," 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill said. "That guy's awesome, flying around making plays."
The Atlanta Falcons know they have a lot do deal with in Willis this weekend.
"You just can't say enough about Patrick Willis," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "Four games into his third year, two Pro Bowls, he may be the top linebacker in the league right now. Arguably, he could fit that description. He had a monster game against St. Louis. That's a season for a lot of linebackers in this league."
And how about teammate Takeo Spikes comparing him to Lewis? In Baltimore, Lewis carried the Ravens to the January 2001 Super Bowl title despite a sub-par offense. So far, San Francisco's offense has been far from flashy while the defense has shined.
Spikes looked forward to playing alongside Willis when he came to San Francisco last season.
"To be at an age as young as he is and to do the things he does, to me that's remarkable," Spikes said. "He's the best right now, the best young linebacker coming up with potential."
Willis led the 49ers with 185 tackles last season and his 9.8 per-game average since he came into the league in 2007 is tops in the NFL. By the NFL's count, he has four games with 18 or more tackles.
And Singletary believes Willis has only "scratched the surface" of what he can do.
"Wow. Just 'Wow' would be the only thing I can say. 'Wow,"' Singletary said. "Because he has so much talent. He just has to tie his talent and knowledge together, and that's where he's going to take it to the next level."
Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky's players have a refreshing way about them. Spikes has been like a big brother to Willis, and they push each other to prepare and improve.
They are always smiling in the locker room, play tricks on each other and still find a way to get serious when it matters on the field.
"I think we kind of throw teams for a loop," Lawson said. "Instead of being nasty, we're out there smiling and joking and laughing, and they don't know what to expect."
Yet opponents are sure coming to expect Willis barreling through the offensive line to make big plays, even if he does so with a kid-like grin.
Willis shows up each day ready to work and he loves his job, a perfect fit under the uber-focused, no-nonsense Singletary.
"You're never great until you're done playing," Willis said. "Hopefully for me that won't be for a long time."