Derek Willis has a confession to make: He grew up a Louisville fan.
Born and raised in the Derby City, it was only natural for Willis to turn to the Cardinals. His parents grew up U of L fans, so he became one. He wore red and got into arguments with his Kentucky friends when Louisville played the Wildcats.
“We weren’t like diehard, like it’s U of L or nothing else … but yeah, we were Louisville fans – or I was growing up,” Willis said.
Now, Willis is a Kentucky Wildcat. The first signee of the star-studded 2013 recruiting class, Willis picked UK over Purdue, Indiana and his childhood team, U of L.