| File:Jesse Williams of the Alabama Crimson Tide.jpg | |
| No. 90 Seattle Seahawks | |
| Defensive tackle | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: November 2, 1990 | |
| Place of birth: Thursday Island, Australia | |
| High School: Brisbane (AU) Cavendish Road | |
| Career information | |
| College: Alabama | |
| NFL Draft: 2013 / Round: 5 / Pick: 137 | |
| No regular season or postseason appearances | |
| Career history | |
| * Seattle Seahawks ( 2013–present) | |
| Roster status: Active | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Jesse Williams (born November 2, 1990), nicknamed "Tha Monstar",[1] is an Australian-born American football defensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). 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 Seattle Seahawks chose him in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Early life[]
Williams was born on Thursday Island, Queensland, to Indigenous Australian parents, and raised in Brisbane, Australia.[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[]
Williams on offense 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 Michigan to open the 2012 season, Williams suffered a concussion that kept him out of Alabama's week two matchup against WKU.[16] He returned to the starting lineup for their week three game against Arkansas.[17] In their 52–0 victory over the Razorbacks, Williams also played on offense 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]
Career college statistics[]
| 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[]
2013 NFL Draft[]
| Ht | WtArm lengthHand size | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in | 323 lb32 in9 ⅜ in | 30 reps |
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 far 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] He later signed his initial rookie contract with Seattle on May 10, 2013.[25]
References[]
- ↑ Bishop, Greg (January 5, 2013). "Over the Top, Leading the Tide". The New York Times (NYTimes.com). http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/sports/ncaafootball/alabamas-jesse-williams-takes-improbable-path-to-stardom.html?_r=2&. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ↑ Staples, Andy (January 5, 2012). "For BCS title game participants LSU and Alabama, two Aussies rule". SI.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/andy_staples/01/05/lsu-alabama-aussies-rule/index.html. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "ABC Online Indigenous - Local Heroes - Jesse Williams". http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/stories/s2638596.htm. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nancarrow, Dan (July 24, 2011). "Williams rides Tide towards NFL career". Brisbane Times. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/williams-rides-tide-towards-nfl-career-20110722-1hswn.html. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Newberg, Jamie (August 4, 2010). "Jesse Williams' climb from Down Under". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/football/columns/story?id=5436284. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ Elsworth, Sophie (July 13, 2010). "'Big Aussie' Jesse Williams set for gridiron glory in US". The Courier-Mail. http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/big-aussie-jesse-williams-set-for-gridiron-glory-in-us/story-e6frep5o-1225891322927. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Simmons, Barton (January 27, 2011). "'Bama-bound Williams headlines 247Sports' Top 25 juco prospects". SI.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/01/27/top-25-juco-recruits/index.html. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. "2011–12 Cumulative Season Statistics: Overall Defensive Statistics". RollTide.com. http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/teamcume.html#TEAM.DEF. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ Scalici, Matt (July 26, 2012). "Tide DL Jesse Williams stirs up Twitter after 600 lb bench press". AL.com. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/07/tide_dl_jesse_williams_stirs_u.html. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ Huston, Chris (July 26, 2012). "Alabama's Jesse Williams is 6-foot-4 and full of muscle". CBSSports.com. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/19662646/alabamas-jesse-williams-is-6-foot-4-and-full-of-muscle. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ Watson, Graham (July 28, 2012). "Alabama lineman bench presses 600 pounds". Yahoo Sports. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/alabama-lineman-bench-presses-600-pounds-171510300--ncaaf.html. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ "2012 National College Football Awards Association Watch Lists" (PDF). National College Football Awards Association. http://www.ncfaa.org/12watchlists.pdf. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ Gribble, Andrew (August 29, 2012). "Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack, Jesse Williams land spots on ESPN.com's All-America team". AL.com. http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2012/08/barrett_jones_chance_warmack_j.html. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. "2012–13 Cumulative Season Statistics: Overall Defensive Statistics". RollTide.com. http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2012-2013/teamcume.html#TEAM.DEF. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ↑ Gribble, Andrew (August 28, 2012). "Alabama releases two-deep depth chart". AL.com. http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2012/08/alabama_releases_two-deep_dept.html. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ↑ Gribble, Andrew (September 8, 2012). "Precautionary measures force Alabama's Jesse Williams, Dee Milliner to miss Saturday's game". AL.com. http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2012/09/precautionary_measures_force_a.html#incart_river. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Kausler, Jr., Don (September 15, 2012). "Tide finds a new fullback, but Jesse Williams runs the wrong way". AL.com. http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2012/09/tide_finds_a_new_fullback_but.html. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ↑ Edwards, Mark (December 23, 2012). "Alabama noseguard Jesse Williams too tough for stationary bike". Ledger-Enquirer. http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/12/23/2322430/alabama-noseguard-jesse-williams.html. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ↑ Low, Chris (December 3, 2012). "Associated Press All-SEC team announced". ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/57216/associated-press-all-sec-team-announced. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ↑ National Junior College Athletic Association. "Arizona Western College: Jesse Williams (2009)". NJCCA.org. http://www.njcaa.org/colleges_college_player.cfm?sid=11&collegeid=1239&category=Roster&slid=5&teamid=90996&athleteid=266278. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ National Junior College Athletic Association. "Arizona Western College: Jesse Williams (2010)". NJCCA.org. http://www.njcaa.org/colleges_college_player.cfm?sid=11&collegeid=1239&category=Roster&slid=5&teamid=105359&athleteid=266278. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ↑ Hughes, Luke (January 23, 2013). "Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams plans to break NFL Combine bench press record". NESN.com. http://nesn.com/2013/01/alabama-defensive-tackle-jesse-williams-plans-to-break-nfl-combine-bench-press-record/. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ↑ Gribble, Andrew (February 24, 2013). "Former Alabama NG Jesse Williams does 30 reps on bench press". AL.com. http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/team/1361744627-810-113/former-alabama-ng-jesse-williams.html. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ↑ Kausler, Jr., Don (April 27, 2013). "Alabama draft recap: The Tide only did better in 1945, when there were 32 rounds". AL.com. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/04/alabama_draft_recap_the_tide_o.html. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ↑ Alper, Josh (May 10, 2013). "Seahawks sign seven of their draft picks". NBCSports.com. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/10/seahawks-sign-seven-of-their-draft-picks/. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
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