_2019.JPG) Williams with theKansas City Chiefs in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 26 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1992-04-03)April 3, 1992 (age 33) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 221 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | Mira Mesa(San Diego) | ||||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NFL draft | 2014: undrafted | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||
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Damien Williams (born April 3, 1992) is an American former professionalfootballrunning back. He playedcollege football for theOklahoma Sooners and was signed by theMiami Dolphins as anundrafted free agent in 2014. Williams was also a member of theKansas City Chiefs,Chicago Bears,Atlanta Falcons,Las Vegas Raiders, andArizona Cardinals. He wonSuper Bowl LIV with the Chiefs by scoring the game-clinching touchdown on a 38-yard run with less than two minutes left in the game.
Williams was born inSan Diego,California.[1] He played varsity football atEl Cajon Valley High School as a freshman.[2] Over the next three years, Williams playedhigh school football atMira Mesa Senior High School.[3][4]
Williams was originally expected to playcollege football atArizona State but did not meet theACT test score requirement. Therefore, he played atArizona Western College before transferring to theUniversity of Oklahoma in 2012.[5]
In November 2013, Williams was dismissed from Oklahoma after violating team rules.[6] In two seasons with the Sooners, he rushed for 1,499 yards with 18touchdowns, including a 95-yard touchdown run against Texas in 2012.[7][8]
| Season | Team | Pos | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||
| 2012 | Oklahoma | RB | 13 | 176 | 946 | 5.4 | 11 | 34 | 320 | 9.4 | 1 |
| 2013 | Oklahoma | RB | 9 | 114 | 553 | 4.9 | 7 | 9 | 90 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Career | 22 | 290 | 1,499 | 5.2 | 18 | 43 | 410 | 9.5 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+1⁄4 in (1.81 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | 30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.45 s | 1.56 s | 2.61 s | 4.25 s | 7.37 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) | 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) | 16 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[9][10] | ||||||||||||
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On May 11, 2014, Williams signed with theMiami Dolphins as anundrafted free agent.[11]
Williams made his NFL debut in the season-opening 33–20 victory over theNew England Patriots, returning one kick for 19 yards.[12] In the next game against theBuffalo Bills, Williams had five carries for 19 yards during the 29–10 road loss.[13] During Week 16 against theMinnesota Vikings, he had six receptions for 50 yards and his first NFL touchdown in the narrow 37–35 victory.[14]
Williams fished his rookie year with 36 carries for 122 yards and 21 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown in 16 games and no starts.[15]
During a Week 2 23–20 loss to theJacksonville Jaguars, Williams had three receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown.[16] He finished his second professional season with 16 carries for 59 yards and 21 receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown in 16 games and no starts.[17]
During a Week 3 30–24 overtime victory over theCleveland Browns, Williams recorded three receptions for 10 yards and his first touchdown of the season to go along with a 15-yard carry.[18] Three weeks later against thePittsburgh Steelers, Williams had six carries for 12 yards and his first career rushing touchdown in the 30–15 victory.[19] In the next game against the Bills, Williams recorded four carries for 16 yards and a touchdown during the 28–25 victory.[20] During Week 10 against theSan Diego Chargers, he rushed twice for two yards and a touchdown and caught an 18-yard touchdown in the 31–24 road victory.[21]
Williams finished the 2016 season with 35 carries for 115 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions for 249 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games and no stats.[22] The Dolphins finished second in theAFC East with a 10–6 record and made the playoffs as the #6-seed.[23] During theWild Card Round against the Steelers, Williams had three carries for 14 yards and a four-yard touchdown reception in the 30–12 road loss.[24]
Set to be a restricted free agent in 2017, the Dolphins tendered Williams at the lowest level. After reportedly wanting a larger contract than the $1.797 million tender for 2017, he officially signed the tender on May 11, 2017.[25]
Williams entered the season second on the Dolphins' running back depth chart behindJay Ajayi. However, Williams was named the starter ahead ofKenyan Drake after Ajayi was traded to thePhiladelphia Eagles on October 31.[26] Williams made his first career start in Week 9 against theOakland Raiders onSunday Night Football and finished the 27–24 loss with seven carries for 14 yards and six receptions for 47 yards and his only touchdown of the season.[27] Two weeks later against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams set season-highs in carries with 10 and rushing yards with 78 while also recording a 24-yard reception in the 30–20 loss.[28] In the next game against the Patriots, he had eight carries for 38 yards and three receptions for 14 yards before leaving the eventual 35–17 road loss during the third quarter with a shoulder injury.[29][30] Williams was expected to be out for two to three weeks,[31] but he ended up missing the rest of the season.[32]
Williams finished the 2017 season with 46 carries for 181 yards and 20 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown in 11 games and four starts.[33]
Williams signed with theKansas City Chiefs on March 22, 2018.[34]
Williams' role increased after starterKareem Hunt was released on November 30.[35] During Week 14 against theBaltimore Ravens, Williams made his first start of the season and finished the 27–24 overtime victory with eight carries for 14 yards and a touchdown to go along with four receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown.[36] In the next game against theLos Angeles Chargers onThursday Night Football, Williams had 10 carries for 49 yards and two touchdowns to go along with six receptions for 74 yards during the narrow 29–28 loss.[37] The following week against theSeattle Seahawks, he had his first game with over 100 rushing yards, recording 13 carries for 103 yards and seven receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown in the 38–31 road loss.[38]
On December 27, the Chiefs signed Williams to a two-year, $8.1 million contract extension.[39] Three days later in the regular season finale against the Raiders, he had 11 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown to go along with an eight-yard reception during the 35–3 blowout victory.[40]
Williams finished the 2018 season with 50 carries for 256 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and three starts.[41] He was called upon in the playoffs as the Chiefs' feature back. In theDivisional Round against theIndianapolis Colts, Williams had 25 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown to go along with five receptions for 25 yards during the 31–13 victory.[42] During theAFC Championship Game against the Patriots, he rushed 10 times for 30 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns in the 37–31 overtime loss.[43]
During the season-opener against the Jaguars, Williams had 13 carries for 26 yards and a touchdown to go along with six receptions for 39 yards in the 40–26 road victory.[44] In the next game against the Raiders, he caught three passes for 48 yards before leaving the eventual 28–10 road victory during the fourth quarter with a knee contusion.[45][46] Williams missed the next two games as a result.[47][48]
During a Week 6 31–24 loss to theHouston Texans, Williams had a six-yard carry and a 14-yard touchdown reception.[49] Two weeks later against theGreen Bay Packers onSunday Night Football, he rushed seven times for 30 yards and a touchdown in the 31–24 loss.[50] In the next game against the Vikings, Williams had his first 100-yard game of the season, rushing 12 times for 125 yards and a 91-yard touchdown during the 26–23 victory.[51] The 91-yard run tiedJamaal Charles for the longest touchdown run in franchise history.[52]
During Week 10 against theTennessee Titans, Williams rushed 19 times for 77 yards in the 35–32 road loss.[53] In the next game against the Chargers onMonday Night Football, he had four carries for seven yards and a six-yard reception before leaving the eventual 24–17 road victory with a rib injury during the second quarter.[54][55] Williams returned from injury in Week 16 against theChicago Bears and finished the 26–3 road victory with 16 carries for 65 yards to go along with three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown.[56] During the regular season finale against the Chargers, he recorded 12 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns, including an 84-yard touchdown, and also caught four passes for 30 yards in the 31–21 victory.[57]
Williams finished the 2019 season with 111 carries for 498 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 30 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games and six starts.[58] In theDivisional Round against the Texans, he had 12 carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown during the 51–31 comeback victory.[59] During theAFC Championship Game against the Titans, Williams recorded 17 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown to go along with five receptions for 44 yards in the 35–24 victory.[60] InSuper Bowl LIV against theSan Francisco 49ers, he had 17 carries for 104 yards and a 38-yard touchdown to go along with four receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown during the 31–20 victory.[61] Williams scored a receiving touchdown with 2:44 left in the game that gave the Chiefs the lead. On their next possession, he scored the game clinching rushing touchdown that gave the Chiefs a 10-point lead with 1:12 left in the game. Williams is the first player in Super Bowl history with at least 100 rushing yards while recording a rushing and receiving touchdown.[62]
On July 29, 2020, the Chiefs announced that Williams would opt out of the season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[63] The following day, he announced onSirius XM NFL radio that the reason why he opted out was because his mother had recently been diagnosed with stage IV cancer.[64] Without Williams, the Chiefs reachedSuper Bowl LV, where they lost 31–9 to theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[65]
Williams was released on March 16, 2021.[66]
On March 26, 2021, Williams signed a one-year contract with theChicago Bears.[67]
Williams made his Bears debut in the season-opener against theLos Angeles Rams and finished the 34–14 road loss with six carries for 12 yards and four receptions for 28 yards.[68] Three weeks later against theDetroit Lions, he had eight carries for 55 yards and his first touchdown of the season to go along with two receptions for 15 yards.[69] In the next game against theLas Vegas Raiders, Williams recorded 16 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown to go along with two receptions for 20 yards during the 20–9 road victory.[70] During the regular season finale against the Vikings, he caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown in the 31–17 road loss.[71]
Williams finished the 2021 season with 40 carries for 164 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 16 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown in 12 games and two starts.[72]
On March 17, 2022, Williams signed a one-year contract with theAtlanta Falcons.[73]
Williams made his Falcons debut in the season-opener against theNew Orleans Saints, rushing twice for two yards before leaving the narrow 27–26 loss during the first quarter with a rib injury.[74][75] He was placed on injured reserve on September 17.[76]
Williams was released on December 12.[77]
On August 11, 2023, Williams signed with theLas Vegas Raiders.[78] He was released on August 29.[79]
On October 5, 2023, theArizona Cardinals signed Williams to their practice squad.[80] Nine days later, he was elevated to the active roster for the Week 6 matchup against the Rams.[81] Williams finished the 26–9 road loss with eight carries for 36 yards and an eight-yard reception.[82] On October 16, he was reverted to the practice squad.[83]
Williams was released on November 9.[84]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2014 | MIA | 16 | 0 | 36 | 122 | 3.4 | 19 | 0 | 21 | 187 | 8.9 | 32 | 1 | 5 | 102 | 20.4 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | MIA | 16 | 0 | 16 | 59 | 3.7 | 19 | 0 | 21 | 142 | 6.8 | 23 | 1 | 21 | 457 | 21.8 | 37 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2016 | MIA | 15 | 0 | 35 | 115 | 3.3 | 23 | 3 | 23 | 249 | 10.8 | 58 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | MIA | 11 | 4 | 46 | 181 | 3.9 | 69 | 0 | 20 | 155 | 7.8 | 24 | 1 | 1 | −7 | −7.0 | −7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | KC | 16 | 3 | 50 | 256 | 5.1 | 25 | 4 | 23 | 160 | 7.0 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | KC | 11 | 6 | 111 | 498 | 4.5 | 91T | 5 | 30 | 213 | 7.1 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | KC | 0 | 0 | Opt-out due toCOVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | CHI | 12 | 2 | 40 | 164 | 4.1 | 23 | 2 | 16 | 103 | 6.4 | 23T | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | ATL | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | ARI | 3 | 0 | 11 | 43 | 3.9 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 101 | 16 | 347 | 1,440 | 4.1 | 91T | 14 | 156 | 1,221 | 7.8 | 58 | 11 | 30 | 584 | 19.5 | 37 | 0 | 5 | 4 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2016 | MIA | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4T | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | KC | 2 | 2 | 35 | 159 | 4.5 | 24 | 2 | 10 | 91 | 9.1 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | KC | 3 | 3 | 46 | 196 | 4.3 | 38T | 4 | 11 | 94 | 8.5 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | KC | 0 | 0 | Opt-out due toCOVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||||||||||
| Career | 6 | 5 | 84 | 369 | 4.4 | 38T | 6 | 22 | 189 | 8.6 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
