As an NFL wide receiver, Matt Willis possesses tremendous agility and strength.

Often, Willis utilizes those abilities on the football field as a member of the Denver Broncos, but this offseason Willis decided to test his skills somewhere else… as a ninja.

A ninja warrior, that is.

Willis said he occasionally watches the American Ninja Warrior television show on G4 and he always came away impressed with the participants. Willis also has a passion for obstacle courses and physical challenges, so when the opportunity presented itself to join the show in Venice, Calif., Willis jumped on it.

“My brother-in-law — he plays water polo for the U.S. National Team — and he got a call from a lady involved in the show and I was with him at the time,” Willis explained. “And I got all excited and told him to sign me up.

“Then I got the opportunity to do it.”