Hall of Fame Profile: Ron Willis Took a Chance and Became a Star

By Matthew Goins, Athletics Intern

In the summer of 1989, Tom Petty released his hit single “Running Down a Dream,” which tells the story of someone chasing endless possibilities regardless of what they may encounter along the way. The chorus of the song is:

Yeah, runnin’ down a dream,
that never would come to me,
workin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leads
Runnin’ down a dream

Though the music video shows Tom Petty in a comic book, it could have easily been Ron Willis, who is a member of the 2021 University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame class. In August 1990, the Illinois native and Fresno State basketball player decided to walk off the court and stay on the track.

At the time, South Carolina was the only school with scholarship money available.

“I had spoken to Coach Greg Kraft,” said Willis. “He offered me enough (scholarship) money, and I came.”

Willis boarded a Greyhound bus in East St. Louis, Illinois, and began his unique and mysterious journey to becoming a track and field star.

“It was one big adventure for me,” said Willis. “I had never been in the south before. I had whole new coaches and a whole new situation, so I was really eager to get started.”

Coming from the heavily dry Fresno, California, Willis was not prepared to embrace the heat of Columbia in more ways than he knew.

“Coach Kraft picked me up from the bus station, and it was frighteningly and oppressively humid,” Willis said. “I thought to myself, ‘oh my God, this must be rare.'”

Later that night, after moving into The Roost, or as athletes knew it, “The meat locker” due to its heavy air conditioning, Willis embraced the humidity and opportunity as he made his way over to the track for his first view.

“There are lots of athletes here that survived somehow in the heat, and I will make it too,” Willis said. “Then practice started, and off we went.”

During his time as a Gamecock, Willis competed in throwing events, including the shot put, hammer throw, and his record-breaking weight throw.

The team traveled around the country and competed in tournaments and invitationals such as the Penn Relays in Philadelphia or the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California. The team was not only challenging other college athletes but was competing against Olympic stars, as well.

“Track was one of those things where big invitationals will invite college athletes as well as professionals,” said Willis. “I went to meets where five or six Olympic champions competed because it was an invite.”

Willis’ most memorable and notable event was his senior year at the Husker Invitational at Nebraska in February 1994. Though the team was ready to embrace the heat of competition at the indoor events, they were not necessarily prepared for the brutal cold outside.

“I realized that opportunities don’t necessarily come and knock on your door. You have to go get them”

After teammates purchased extra jackets from the nearby K-mart, Willis remembers seeing iconic Nebraska football coach Tom Osbourne run with his team early in the morning wearing only running shoes, shorts, and a long-sleeved shirt.

“I’m thinking ‘the dudes out here in Nebraska are tougher than a lot of dudes I know,'” said Willis.

At the Invitational, Willis competed in the weight throw and broke the national record.

“When I made the throw, the officials measured it and called it out,” Willis recalled. “I knew it was big, but I wasn’t thinking about anything else.”

While measuring the distance of his throw, Assistant Coach Larry Judge ran over and demanded that the officials get the metal tape, though Willis didn’t understand why. However, for a record to be official, it must be measured with a metal tape measure.

After waiting for 30 minutes, the officials returned with metal tape, measured the distance, and declared Willis had set a record.

“The whole thing was a bit of a surprise,” said Willis. “I was stunned because what we had talked about was the championship and what it might take to win it due to what the field was like, so I didn’t focus specifically on that.”

Looking back on his time at Carolina, Willis is grateful for the upscale facilities, supportive people, and endless opportunities, especially after joining the SEC.

“The thing I really loved about being there was the support, the quality of athletes you’re surrounded with, and the facilities. It was all a great fit.”

Following his time in track and field, Willis continued to defy the odds and set new standards. Though he had studied political science, Willis put away law school and took his own risk when he landed a job in the financial sector. 

In fall 2002, he pursued a Master’s in Business Administration from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

Willis now lives in New York with his wife Heather, son Miles, and daughter Sabrina and works as an equity trader.

He believes his professional and personal success relate back to one of the greatest lessons he ever learned as an athlete, which is “The outcome you get is determined by what you do with your opportunities.”

“Learning that lesson early in sports, I realized that opportunities don’t necessarily come and knock on your door,” said Willis. “You have to go get them.”

He is grateful for the memories and the recognition, which he believes is a testament to the school’s devotion to its student-athletes.

“Gamecock fans have been incredibly supportive of its sports teams going back to before I was there. That level of commitment and support means something, and the athletes feel it. Whether good, bad, or indifferent, we feel it,” said Wills.

He received word of his Hall of Fame induction from his friend and best man, former Gamecock Football offensive lineman Anton Gunn, who he met during his time at Carolina.

Gunn’s phone call was a “complete shock.”

“To think that something you did twenty plus years ago resonated enough that people came back later and said ‘Hey, we want to remember this person’s accomplishments forever’ is a pretty big honor,” said Willis.   

Induction ceremonies will be held on Thursday, October 14, and the inductees will also be recognized at Saturday’s football against Vanderbilt at Williams-Brice Stadium.