Mario Williams

Mario Jerrel Williams (born January 31, 1985) is an American football defensive end for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State University.

College career
Williams attended North Carolina State University, where his stellar performance for the Wolfpack earned him the top spot in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Draft analysts predicted that the Houston Texans would pick Reggie Bush as the first pick. However, in a surprising move on the night before the draft, the Texans signed Williams, meaning that Bush would not be the first draft pick.

Houston Texans
On October 1, 2006, Williams recorded his first sack and a half against Miami Dolphins' quarterback Daunte Culpepper in the Texans' first win of the season (score 17-15). Three weeks later, Williams sacked Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich and recovered a fumble in the Texans' 27-7 upset. In the 2006 season, Williams accumulated 47 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

Early in the 2007 season, Williams played well, with an outstanding performance in the first game. Williams made five tackles, two sacks, and returned a fumble by Kansas City Chiefs fullback Kris Wilson for a touchdown. He had particularly big games against the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, sacking quarterback Jay Cutler 3.5 times and quarterback Vince Young 2.5 times in one game each. His first sack of 2007 was of Peyton Manning. Before the game, Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy compared Williams to Colts Pro Bowl Defensive End Dwight Freeney. Williams finished the 2007 season with 59 total tackles and 14 sacks.

The 2007 season was a year that Williams answered many of the critics that he gained because of his lofty Number 1 draft pick status. In 2007, through 15 games, Williams accounted for 48 percent of the Texans' sacks, a higher percentage than any other player. Williams was a first-team All-Pro selection by the Sporting News. Williams was not elected to the Pro Bowl game, but was voted an alternate to the game.

In 2008, Williams amassed 12 sacks and 53 tackles in 15 games (all starts). This effort included three sacks and one forced fumble in the Texans' first ever Monday Night Football game on December 1, 2008. For his efforts, Williams was selected for his first Pro Bowl as a starter and was a first-team All-Pro selection by the Sporting News for the second consecutive season. Williams was again selected to the Pro Bowl after the 2009 season.

On December 15, 2010, the Texans announced they were placing Williams on injured reserve for the remainder of the season with an inflamed hernia. Williams had been struggling since September with injuries, though he still ranked in the top third in the NFL in sacks with 8.5 through 13 games.

In 2011, during week five versus the Oakland Raiders, Williams suffered a torn pectoral muscle while sacking Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell for his team-leading fifth sack. On October 12, the Texans placed Williams on injured reserve for the second consecutive year, ending his season. Williams' contract ended in 2011 and he became a free agent, able to sign with any other football team.

Texans franchise records
Source:
 * Most career sacks (53)
 * Most career forced fumbles (11)

Buffalo Bills (2012-present)
On March 15, 2012, after two days of negotiation with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent, Williams signed a six-year contract with the Bills. Williams' new contract is worth up to $100 million, with $50 million guaranteed, which makes it the most lucrative contract for a defensive player in NFL history.

On May 22, 2012, it was announced that Williams would be wearing number #94 while with the Bills. The #90 that he wore with the Texans is worn by veteran Chris Kelsay in Buffalo.

Personal life
In 2012, Williams debuted a honey-toasted oats breakfast cereal called "MariO's", and the proceeds from the sales are intended to be donated to a Buffalo charity supporting children with cancer and their families.