.JPG) Williams with the Denver Broncos in 2014 | |||||||||||
| No. 92, 96, 98, 73 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1988-11-21)November 21, 1988 (age 37) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 328 lb (149 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Jefferson City (MO) | ||||||||||
| College |
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| NFL draft | 2013: 1st round, 28th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Sylvester Williams Jr. (born November 21, 1988) is an American former professionalfootball player who was adefensive end in theNational Football League (NFL). He was selected by theDenver Broncos in the first round of the2013 NFL draft. He playedcollege football for theNorth Carolina Tar Heels, where he earnedAll-American honors.
Williams was born inSt Louis, Missouri, into a family with three older sisters and one younger brother.[1]He attendedJefferson City High School, and played football for only one season inhigh school, and started only one game. Not being recruited by college programs, he assembled radiator parts for large combines before deciding to walk-on atCoffeyville Community College.[2] He had 52 tackles and two sacks in 2010.
Williams transferred to theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011, and played for theNorth Carolina Tar Heels football team in 2011 and 2012. As a junior in 2011, he had 43 tackles and 2.5 sacks.[1] The following season, Williams was named to theAll-ACC first team.[3] He was also named anAll-American byPro Football Weekly.[4]
Coming out of North Carolina, Williams was a projected first round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and analysts. He attended the NFL combine and completed all of the required combine and positional drills. On March 26, 2013, Williams participated at North Carolina's pro day, along withJonathan Cooper,Giovani Bernard,Brennan Williams,Travis Bond,Kevin Reddick, and nine other teammates, and opted to only perform positional drills for scouts and team representatives in attendance.[5] Williams was ranked the fourth best defensive tackle prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com, NFL analystMike Mayock, andSports Illustrated (behindSharrif Floyd,Sheldon Richardson, andStar Lotulelei).[6][7][8]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m) | 313 lb (142 kg) | 33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) | 10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) | 5.03 s | 1.76 s | 2.91 s | 4.80 s | 7.93 s | 26+1⁄2 in (0.67 m) | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) | 27 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[9] | ||||||||||||
TheDenver Broncos selected Williams in the first round (28th overall pick) of the2013 NFL draft.[10] He recorded his first career sack on December 12, 2013 in a loss to theSan Diego Chargers. He had another sack the following week against theHouston Texans. On December 29,Oakland RaidersquarterbackTerrelle Pryor bobbled a snap and Williams recovered it. As a rookie in 2013, Williams played 13 games with 22 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery. The Broncos finished the season with a 13–3 record, clinching anAFC West and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but lost to theSeattle Seahawks by a score of 43–8 inSuper Bowl XLVIII.
In the 2014 season, Williams played all 16 games, started 13 of them, making 22 tackles and a pass defended. The Broncos finished with a 12–4 record, clinching the 2nd seed and another AFC West pennant, but were defeated 24–13 by theIndianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Round.
In the 2015 season, Williams started 15 games with 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Broncos finished the season with a 12–4 record, clinching another AFC West pennant. The Broncos defense was ranked #1 in the NFL in the 2015 year. On February 7, 2016, Williams was part of the Broncos team that wonSuper Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated theCarolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.[11] In the Super Bowl, Williams recorded two tackles and defended a pass.[12] The Broncos won the game by a score of 24–10, giving Williams his first career championship title after defeating theCarolina Panthers.[13] It was also the first time in 17 years and third time in franchise history the Broncos won the Super Bowl.[14]
On March 10, 2017, Williams signed a three-year contract with theTennessee Titans.[15]
On March 17, 2018, Williams was released by the Titans.[16]
On March 21, 2018, Williams signed a one-year contract with theDetroit Lions.[17] He played in six games with four starts before being released on October 25, 2018.[18]
On October 31, 2018, Williams was signed by theMiami Dolphins.[19]
On May 13, 2019, Williams signed with theNew Orleans Saints.[20] He was released on August 31, 2019.[21]
On October 23, 2019, Williams was signed by theLos Angeles Chargers.[22]
On October 3, 2020, Williams was signed to the Broncos' practice squad.[23] He was promoted to the active roster on October 17, 2020.[24] He was released on October 23,[25] and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[26] He was promoted back to the active roster on October 27.[27]