You can check out Moses’ video in the video gallery.  There can only be one winner, but Patrick would like to acknowledge a few other outstanding entries:

Stay tuned to Patrick’s website for more contests and content in the future.

Contest Rules:

Between Monday, May 2nd and Friday, May 6th tweet why you follow me with the hashtag #iFollowPatrickWillis. The person with the most creative response will win an autographed authentic jersey and I will personalize it to the winner!

Eligibility:

• To be eligible for the contest you MUST follow me on Twitter
• Your response must include the hashtag #iFollowPatrickWillis and my twitter handle @PatrickWillis52
• You must send your tweet before 5pm EST Friday, May 6th

I look forward to seeing your tweets and remember to be creative!!

In January, I underwent surgery to repair the fourth metacarpal bone or ring finger on my right hand.  Doctors inserted three screws into my finger to repair the fracture.  I suffered the injury last December vs. the Seahawks and played with a cast for two weeks before missing the season-finale against the Cardinals.

When the injury first occurred, I worried about losing strength in my hand.  During my first reps in the weight room after the surgery, I felt kind of nervous.  I didn’t want to tweak my finger again.  Those concerns steadily went away over the past few weeks.  I put up 365 pounds on the bench press and followed it up with several reps at 320.  I’m very happy with my performance in the weight room considering how my hand felt after the season ended.

Besides lifting, I’ve been staying in shape with two-a-day sessions during the week.  I usually train from 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. each day, then play three hours of pickup basketball each night.  I just love playing basketball – behind football it’s my favorite sport.  It’s great exercise getting up and down the court.  The pickup games also help me work on my lateral movement, hand-eye coordination and vertical leap.

In addition, I’ve been doing on-field drills with receivers Josh Morgan and Kevin Jurovich.  I’m trying to understand the concepts of routes better by covering them in the wideout and slot positions.  If they feel me inside, I’m able to read if they’re going to go outside.  On the other hand, if they come straight at me there’s a good chance they’ll go inside.

I’m not trying to be Darrelle Revis, I just want to be in position to make plays.  Throughout the drills, I’ve defended all types of routes – go routes, comebacks, outs and slants.  Hopefully, the extra work will help me in pass coverage when we return to the field.

Also, this month ESPN.com ranked me as the top linebacker in the NFL in their linebacker power ratings.  It’s a tremendous honor and extremely humbling.  Still, though, I have so much to learn and have so much room for improvement.  I take it as a way to make me hungrier and to continue to elevate my play.

There are some outstanding linebackers in the NFL such as Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher and DeMeco Ryans.  I need to continue to improve to keep pace with them.  If I ever get to the point where I don’t think I need to get better, it’s time for me to hang it up.

We open next season at home against the Seahawks.  Last year, we dropped our opener on the road in Seattle.  Last season is over and we need to start a new chapter.  We then follow it up with games against the Cowboys, Bengals, Eagles and Bucs.

Both the Eagles and Bucs will present a challenge with running backs LeSean McCoy and LeGarrette Blount.  When Blount runs, he does a nice job of staying patient behind his line and stretching you to the outside.  By the time he makes one cut and heads down the field, it already seems like he has four yards per carry.  McCoy reminds me of Reggie Bush for his quickness.  If you lose focus, he can take it to the end zone before you know it.

On Thanksgiving Night, we will face the Ravens in Baltimore.  It will be Harbaugh v. Harbaugh in a matchup of brothers, just like last year when Rex Ryan took on his brother Rob.  It will also give me a second chance to face Lewis.

In my rookie year, I faced the Ravens and we had an opportunity to talk on the field after the game.  We have always been close and now text each other all the time.  Eventually, he gave me the nickname “the young lion,” for my passion for the game.  It’s extremely gratifying to hear, especially coming from one of the best linebackers of all-time.

There are some talented guys in this week’s draft, specifically on defensive side of the ball.  I’m not sure what direction the team’s headed in, but several of our starters are free agents.  We might need some security if nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin or safety Dashon Goldson leave San Francisco.

I can’t wait to return to the field.

Jim Harbaugh, our new coach, is also extremely passionate about the sport of football.  Though I haven’t been able to meet with him yet, I had the chance to watch some of his games at Stanford this past year.  I was impressed with how he led Stanford (not typically a football powerhouse) into a Top 5 ranked team by the end of the 2010 season.  I hope he can come in and achieve similar success with the 49ers.

I also haven’t had a chance to meet with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but I am extremely intrigued about how he can revitalize our unit.  He served as an assistant with the Ravens from 2006-2010, where he helped lead one of the top defenses in the NFL.  Our scheme over the past few years does not differ too much from the one he ran in Baltimore.  We should be amongst the top defenses in the league next year.

Still, there are questions on defense.  A number of our top players will become free agents in March.  This includes: linebacker Manny Lawson, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, Takeo and Dashon.  We’ve had these guys on our defense for awhile and they have been critical to our growth.  I hope all of them return.

Right now, no one knows how the labor situation will play out or if there will be a season next year.  Recently, I was selected as the 49ers’ alternate players’ representative.  Last week, I spent two days in Washington where I attended a series of meetings with NFLPA leaders and other players’ representatives.  Honestly, I didn’t know the complexities of the situation until seeing it up close.

I have my full faith and trust in the NFLPA leadership.  They’re doing all they can to resolve the labor situation.  It’s also an honor and privilege to be selected as the team’s alternate.  I just want to help the other guys on the team and be a second voice behind Takeo – our current representative.  I know this is a business, but hopefully everything can be settled between the owners and players.  A number of players, including myself hope we don’t miss any time on the field.  Football is our livelihood.

This week, I am headed to Texas for the Super Bowl.  I’ll be having a good time, but boy, I’d love to be playing in it.

As a defense we held the Broncos to just seven points through the first three quarters and allowed only 59 yards rushing for the game.  We were swarming to the ball from the start. It was one of our best defensive efforts of the season.

During the bye week, I’ve done my best to relax and lay low.  I don’t like to go too crazy when we have a week off during the season.  The bye week is for resting and rehabbing your body.  Since I entered the league in 2007, I’ve used the bye week to prepare for the rest of the season.  After a tough start to the season, it was great to take my mind away from football for a few days.

Still, I’m extremely excited about returning to the team.  We have a huge divisional game at home against St. Louis this week.  We are two games behind the Rams in the win column and sorely need the victory.

Steven Jackson is one of the most physical runners in the NFL.  He has deceptive speed and is very tough to bring down.  Their quarterback Sam Bradford, this year’s overall No. 1 pick, is having an excellent season.  Bradford’s presence has helped the Rams become one of the most up-and-coming teams in the league.  We will be ready for the challenge.

The play took place during my rookie year in 2007 and I still remember it clearly. It was my first time facing the Panthers and my first time facing the talented runner. Ever since, I’ve told myself to secure the tackle first, then go for the ball. If I don’t have the runner wrapped up, I can’t try to force a fumble.

On Sunday we will face Williams again, but this time he will be joined by Jonathan Stewart – another runner who is as equally talented. Last year, Williams and Stewart became the only duo in league history to run for 1,100 yards each in a season. They are undoubtedly one of the top tandems in the league.

Each back presents a different challenge. DeAngelo is more of an outside runner, who will get to the edge and cut back to the inside. Jonathan, meanwhile, is more of a downhill runner. Still, both can alter their running styles. At times, DeAngelo can run it up the middle and at others Jonathan can bounce it to the outside.

We also have to be prepared for more than one option at quarterback. Jimmy Clausen played the last three games for Carolina, but Matt Moore is expected to receive the start. We can’t overlook either one.

Though they are similar in many ways, Moore is more of a quick strike quarterback. Clausen, on the other hand, likes to spend more time reading the defense and tries to beat you with the deep ball downfield. We need to stay patient in our gaps against their running backs and try to pressure the quarterback.

Despite their 0-5 record, we can’t overlook the Panthers. They have talent across the board on offense and Steve Smith is one of the top receivers in the league. We are hoping to start our first two-game winning streak of the season. We still have a long way to go this year before we reach all of our goals for the season.

During our five game losing streak to start the season, we had a negative turnover margin. It allowed our opponents to possess the ball for large chunks of the game, as they ate up the clock on the ground and ran gimmick plays. It also forced us to alter the entire playbook.

My opponents have been smart with their film study. They have found a number of ways to send receivers into the box to crack back against me. At the same time, offensive lines have presented unbalanced formations to take away the true reads that I am used to seeing.  

The big plays will come. I just have to remain patient and do what I know best by flying towards the ball and hitting guys as hard as I can. I am hoping to create more explosive plays through forced fumbles and interceptions.

Through it all, Coach Singletary has been a great leader. There have been a number of times this year when he has pulled the defense aside and told us to stick together. He wants us to lead by example just as he did as a linebacker with the Bears during his Hall of Fame career.

In the locker room, we still believe we can produce a memorable season especially after our first win of the season last week against the Raiders. We still control our own destiny and can earn a trip to the playoffs by winning our division. Each day, we just need to believe in each other and play as hard as we can.

I’ve given everything I have on the field to help my team. My opponents have done the right things to take me off my game, but I know how to respond. I am just going to play the game and let it come to me. That’s the approach I will take for now.

Since Willis entered the National Football League in 2007 he has recorded 467 tackles -- more than both Ray Lewis and Junior Seau in each of their first three seasons. In his first season with the 49er's, he earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors and became the first San Francisco player to be named a First Team All-Pro since Ronnie Lott. Last season, he led the league in tackles with 152.