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Jesse Williams (American football)

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Jesse Williams
refer to caption
Williams with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015
No. 90
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1990-11-02) 2 November 1990 (age 34)
Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:325 lb (147 kg)
Career information
High school:Cavendish Road (Brisbane, Queensland)
College:Alabama
NFL draft:2013 / round: 5 / pick: 137
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jesse Williams (born 2 November 1990), nicknamed "tha Monstar",[1] is an Australian former professional American football defensive tackle. Williams played college football for the University of Alabama, where he was a starter on the defensive line for the 2011 and 2012 national championship teams. The Seahawks chose him in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft. Although he spent the majority of his pro career on the injured reserve list, Williams became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring as a member of Seattle's 2013 team.

Early life

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Williams was born on Thursday Island, Queensland, to Torres Strait Islander parents, and raised in Brisbane, attending Norman Park State School and Cavendish Road State High School.[2] He grew up playing rugby league and basketball and did not start playing gridiron football until he was 14 years old.[3] He first played football with the Bayside Ravens after he attended one of their practices to watch a friend play quarterback.[4] In his first year as a player, Williams was named Rookie of the Year and made the Queensland Under 19 team that would go on to win Australian National Championships.[3] For his efforts in the 2008 season, he was named Defensive Player of the Year with the Ravens.[3]

College career

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American football players in position prior to a snap.
Williams on offence against Western Carolina in 2012.

Williams was originally recruited by University of Hawaii coaches and offered a scholarship to play for the Hawaii Warriors football team after a Warriors scout saw him play during the Australian National Championships.[4] He verbally committed to play for Hawaii when he was 16 years old; however, the NCAA clearing house said he was missing a mathematics and an English class and would not be able to enroll for the 2009 season.[5] Williams later chose to enroll at Arizona Western College, after coaches saw him play in an exhibition against New Zealand while they were teaching at a football clinic.[5] At the time, Williams was the first Indigenous Australian to receive a scholarship to play college football in the United States.[6] At Western, Williams developed into one of the highest rated recruits out of junior college for the 2011 class.[7] After receiving scholarship offers to play from over 25 schools, Williams enrolled in the University of Alabama for the spring 2011 semester, and began practice with coach Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide football team.[5][7]

Williams started all 13 games of the 2011 season with the Crimson Tide at defensive end, and he made 24 total tackles and half of a quarterback sack during the course of the year.[8] During the offseason, Williams gained a degree of internet fame when images of him bench pressing 600 pounds (270 kg) were posted to his Twitter account.[9][10][11]

Prior to the start of the 2012 season, Williams was named to the preseason award watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Outland Trophy.[12] He was also named to the ESPN.com Preseason All-America Team at nose tackle.[13]

For the 2012 regular season, Williams was a starter for Alabama as the nose guard in 13 of the 14 games, and he made 37 total tackles, one quarterback sack and blocked a kick during the course of the year.[14][15] In their 41–14 victory over the Michigan Wolverines to open the 2012 season, Williams suffered a concussion that kept him out of Alabama's week two matchup against Western Kentucky.[16] He returned to the starting line-up for their week three game against Arkansas.[17] In their 52–0 victory over the Razorbacks, Williams also played on offence for the first time in his Crimson Tide career when he lined up at the fullback position late in the second quarter on a one-yard Eddie Lacy touchdown run.[17] In the SEC Championship game against Georgia he blocked for an Eddie Lacy touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter after sitting out the third quarter with a knee injury.[18] After the season, the AP named Williams to the AP All-SEC Second-team.[19]

College statistics

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Year School GP–GS Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Fumbles Blocked
Solo Ast Total Loss–Yards No–Yards Int–Yards BU PD QBH Rcv–Yards FF Kick
2009 Arizona Western[20] 10–10 12 34 46 6.5–40 4–24 0–0 0 0 0 0–0 4 0
2010 Arizona Western[21] 7–7 8 22 30 6–29 2–12 1–33 2 0 0 1–0 0 0
2011 Alabama[8] 13–13 10 14 24 4.0–10 0.5–1 0–0 1 1 3 0–0 0 0
2012 Alabama[14] 13–13 7 30 37 2.5–8 1–3 0–0 2 2 4 0–0 0 1

Professional career

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Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine, Williams, who reportedly bench-pressed a maximum of 600 lb (270 kg), vowed to break the 225-pound bench press record of 51 repetitions, established by Justin Ernest in 1999.[22] However, he eventually came well short, recording 30 reps.[23] Predicted to be selected as high as late in the first round, Williams was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft with the 137th overall selection by the Seattle Seahawks.[24]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Bench press
6 ft 3+3⁄8 in
(1.91 m) 		323 lb
(147 kg) 		32 in
(0.81 m) 		9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.94 s 1.77 s 2.90 s 4.83 s 7.81 s 30 reps
All values from NFL Combine[25]

Williams signed his initial rookie contract with Seattle on 10 May 2013.[26] On 26 August 2013, Williams was placed on the injured reserve list for the 2013 season as the result of a knee injury that sidelined him for the entirety of his rookie season with Seattle.[27] Through Week 16 of the regular season, Williams rehabbed his knee in his native Australia where he used Orthokine to help with joint pain associated with his knee injury.[28] Although he did not play a down during the season due to his injury, Williams became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring after Seattle's victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.[29]

On 1 August 2014, Williams was again placed on the injured reserve list for the 2014 season once again as the result of a knee injury.[30][31] After not playing during the regular season for a second consecutive year due to injury, the Seahawks waived Williams on 6 March 2015.[32] Williams was re-signed on April 1, 2015.

On 9 March 2016, Williams was waived by the Seahawks.[33]

Personal life

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In May 2015, Williams was diagnosed with papillary Type 2 cancer and had to undergo kidney surgery. In a statement through the Seahawks, Williams said, "Although disappointing, I am a fighter and will handle this. I am going to focus on my health and fighting this battle with a return to football as my ultimate goal".[34]

Jesse has a son named Wolf.

After football, Williams became a strength & conditioning coach. He is part of growing the sport of American football in Australia and very passionate about community work in his local area where he was raised.

References

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  1. ^ Bishop, Greg (5 January 2013). "Over the Top, Leading the Tide". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  2. ^ Staples, Andy (5 January 2012). "For BCS title game participants LSU and Alabama, two Aussies rule". SI.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "ABC Online Indigenous – Local Heroes – Jesse Williams". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Nancarrow, Dan (24 July 2011). "Williams rides Tide towards NFL career". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Newberg, Jamie (4 August 2010). "Jesse Williams' climb from Down Under". ESPN.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  6. ^ Elsworth, Sophie (13 July 2010). "'Big Aussie' Jesse Williams set for gridiron glory in US". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b Simmons, Barton (27 January 2011). "'Bama-bound Williams headlines 247Sports' Top 25 juco prospects". SI.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  8. ^ a b University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. "2011–12 Cumulative Season Statistics: Overall Defensive Statistics". RollTide.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  9. ^ Scalici, Matt (26 July 2012). "Tide DL Jesse Williams stirs up Twitter after 600 lb bench press". AL.com. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  10. ^ Huston, Chris (26 July 2012). "Alabama's Jesse Williams is 6-foot-4 and full of muscle". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  11. ^ Watson, Graham (28 July 2012). "Alabama lineman bench presses 600 pounds". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  12. ^ "2012 National College Football Awards Association Watch Lists" (PDF). National College Football Awards Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  13. ^ Gribble, Andrew (29 August 2012). "Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack, Jesse Williams land spots on ESPN.com's All-America team". AL.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  14. ^ a b University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. "2012–13 Cumulative Season Statistics: Overall Defensive Statistics". RollTide.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  15. ^ Gribble, Andrew (28 August 2012). "Alabama releases two-deep depth chart". AL.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  16. ^ Gribble, Andrew (8 September 2012). "Precautionary measures force Alabama's Jesse Williams, Dee Milliner to miss Saturday's game". AL.com. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  17. ^ a b Kausler Jr., Don (15 September 2012). "Tide finds a new fullback, but Jesse Williams runs the wrong way". AL.com. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  18. ^ Edwards, Mark (23 December 2012). "Alabama noseguard Jesse Williams too tough for stationary bike". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved 8 January 2013.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ Low, Chris (3 December 2012). "Associated Press All-SEC team announced". ESPN.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  20. ^ National Junior College Athletic Association. "Arizona Western College: Jesse Williams (2009)". NJCCA.org. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  21. ^ National Junior College Athletic Association. "Arizona Western College: Jesse Williams (2010)". NJCCA.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  22. ^ Hughes, Luke (23 January 2013). "Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams plans to break NFL Combine bench press record". NESN.com. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  23. ^ Gribble, Andrew (24 February 2013). "Former Alabama NG Jesse Williams does 30 reps on bench press". AL.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  24. ^ Kausler Jr., Don (27 April 2013). "Alabama draft recap: The Tide only did better in 1945, when there were 32 rounds". AL.com. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  25. ^ "Combine Player Profiles-Jesse Williams". NFL.com. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  26. ^ Alper, Josh (10 May 2013). "Seahawks sign seven of their draft picks". NBCSports.com. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  27. ^ Gribble, Andrew (26 August 2013). "Former Alabama DL Jesse Williams placed on injured reserve, won't play in 2013". AL.com. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  28. ^ Dybas, Todd (30 June 2014). "Healthy and lighter, Jesse Williams hopes to make an impact". The News Tribune. TheNewsTribune.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  29. ^ Gribble, Andrew (2 February 2014). "Former Alabama nose guard Jesse Williams becomes first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring". AL.com. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  30. ^ Inabinett, Mark (2 August 2014). "Jesse Williams facing another season on injured-reserve list". AL.com. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  31. ^ Drovetto, Tony. "Jesse Williams moved to injured reserve; Randall Carroll released; Marcus Dowtin signed". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  32. ^ Mark, Inabinett (6 March 2015). "Seattle Seahawks waive defensive tackle Jesse Williams after two years of injuries". AL.com. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  33. ^ "Seahawks Waive DT Jesse Williams | Seattle Seahawks". Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  34. ^ "Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams diagnosed with cancer". NBC Sports. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
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