DeAngelo Williams facts for kids

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DeAngelo Williams

Williams with the Steelers in 2016

Born

DeAngelo Chondon Williams

April 25, 1983 (age 42)

Wynne, Arkansas, U.S.

Football career

No. 34

Position:

Running back

Personal information

Height:

5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)

Weight:

207 lb (94 kg)

Career information

High school:

Wynne

College:

Memphis (2002–2005)

NFL Draft:

2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27

Career history

Carolina Panthers (2006)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2015)

Career highlights and awards

Second-team All-Pro (2008)
Pro Bowl (2009)
2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2008, 2015)
First-team All-American (2005)
Third-team All-American (2004)
3× C-USA Offensive Player of the Year (2003–2005)
3× First-team All-C-USA (2003–2005)
Memphis Tigers No. 20 retired

Career NFL statistics

Rushing yards:	8,096
Rushing average:	4.7
Rushing touchdowns:	61
Receptions:	236
Receiving yards:	2,106
Receiving touchdowns:	9

Player stats at PFR

College Football Hall of Fame

Professional wrestling career

Williams at Slammiversary in 2017

Ring name(s)

DeAngelo Williams

Billed height

5 ft 9 in (175 cm)

Billed weight

207 lb (94 kg)

Trained by

Scott D'Amore

Debut

July 2, 2017

DeAngelo Chondon Williams (born April 25, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and former football running back. He played in the National Football League (NFL). Williams played college football for the Memphis Tigers. He was named a first-team All-American in 2005. The Carolina Panthers chose him in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played for the Panthers until 2014. From 2015 to 2016, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Early Life and High School Football

DeAngelo Williams grew up in Wynne, Arkansas. He was a top running back in the state in 2001. In high school, he played for the Wynne Yellowjackets football team. As a junior, he ran for over 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

During his senior year, he set a school record. He rushed for 2,204 yards and 34 touchdowns. He helped his team reach the state 4A championship. Williams was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Offensive Player of the Year in 2001.

Williams also excelled in track & field. He still holds a state record in the 100-meter dash. He was considered a top running back prospect in the country. He chose to play college football at the University of Memphis.

College Football Career

Williams played for the Memphis Tigers football team. He quickly became a star player.

Starting Strong (2002-2003)

As a freshman in 2002, Williams showed his talent right away. In his first game, he rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown. He led the team with 684 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

In 2003, he had an amazing season. He set a school record with eight straight games of over 100 rushing yards. He finished the season with over 1,400 rushing yards. This was the most in Memphis history at the time. He was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.

Record-Breaking Seasons (2004-2005)

Williams continued to break records in 2004. He rushed for 1,948 yards and 22 touchdowns. He led the nation in rushing touchdowns. For the second year in a row, he was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2005, Williams was considered a top player for the Heisman Trophy. He had ten games with over 100 rushing yards. In his final college game, the 2005 Motor City Bowl, he ran for 238 yards and three touchdowns. This made him the top rusher in college football that year. He was also named an All-American.

College Statistics

DeAngelo Williams		Rushing							Receiving
Season	Team	GP	Att	Yds	Avg	Y/G	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Lng	TD
2002	Memphis	10	103	684	6.6	68.4	31	5	5	51	32	0
2003	Memphis	11	243	1,430	5.9	130.0	49	10	35	384	80	3
2004	Memphis	12	313	1,948	6.2	162.3	75	22	18	210	68	1
2005	Memphis	11	310	1,964	6.3	178.5	76	18	12	78	29	1
Career		44	969	6,026	6.2	137.0	86	55	70	723	80	5

College Legacy

DeAngelo Williams ended his college career with 6,026 rushing yards. This was more than double any other player in Memphis history. He also had 55 rushing touchdowns. He holds the NCAA record for most 100-yard rushing games (34). He also holds the NCAA record for All-purpose yards (7,573). In 2012, Memphis named their "Most Valuable Player" award after him.

Professional Football Career

NFL Draft (2006)

Pre-draft measurables
Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand size	40-yard dash	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	214 lb (97 kg)	30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m)	9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m)	4.45 s	4.10 s	6.57 s	35.5 in (0.90 m)	10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)	25 reps
Bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, measurables from NFL Combine. All other values from Pro Day.

Williams attended the 2006 Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. He performed well in drills, showing his speed and athleticism. On April 29, 2006, the Carolina Panthers picked him. He was the 27th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He became the highest drafted running back from the Memphis Tigers. Williams chose to wear jersey number 34, like his hero, Ricky Williams.

Carolina Panthers (2006-2014)

Williams in 2008

Early Seasons (2006-2007)

In his first NFL season (2006), Williams showed promise. He scored his first professional touchdown in Week 2. He finished the year with 501 rushing yards and one touchdown. In 2007, he gained 717 rushing yards. He led the team with four rushing touchdowns.

Breakout Year (2008)

Williams became the starting running back in 2008. He shared carries with rookie Jonathan Stewart. He had four games in a row with over 100 rushing yards. On November 30, he set a Panthers record. He scored four rushing touchdowns in one game. He finished the season with 1,515 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. He also had two receiving touchdowns. He made the All-Pro team. The Panthers finished with a 12–4 record and won their division.

Pro Bowl Season (2009)

In 2009, Williams continued his strong play. He rushed for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 252 receiving yards. He earned a spot in the 2010 Pro Bowl. He and Jonathan Stewart both rushed for over 1,100 yards. This was a first for a running back duo since 1970.

Later Panthers Years (2010-2014)

Williams signed a five-year contract extension in 2011. He continued to be a key player for the Panthers. In 2012, he rushed for a career-high 210 yards in one game. Injuries affected his playing time in 2014. He only played in six games that season. The Panthers released him on March 10, 2015.

Williams (#34) in 2014

Panthers Franchise Records

As of 2017, DeAngelo Williams holds several Carolina Panthers records:

Most 50+ yard rushes, career: 11
Most rushing yards, season: 1,515 (2008)
Most rushing touchdowns, season: 18 (2008)
Most total touchdowns, season: 20 (2008)
Most rushing touchdowns, game: 4 (December 21, 2008)
Most 100+ yard rushing games, career: 18
Most games with 4+ touchdowns, career: 2
Most seasons with 1,000+ rushing yards: 2

Pittsburgh Steelers (2015-2016)

Williams playing in 2015.

2015 Season

On March 13, 2015, Williams signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first game as a Steeler, he ran for 127 yards. In Week 2, he scored three touchdowns. When starter Le'Veon Bell was injured, Williams became the main running back. He rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders. He finished the 2015 season with 907 rushing yards. He tied for the league-lead with 11 rushing touchdowns.

2016 Season

Williams started the 2016 season strong. He led the league in rushing yards after two weeks. He rushed for 146 yards in Week 1. He finished the season with 343 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Steelers made it to the AFC Championship game. Williams retired from the NFL on June 25, 2018.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Kickoff Returns					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Ret	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2006	CAR	13	2	121	501	4.1	31	1	33	313	9.5	41	1	32	623	19.5	39	0	1	0
2007	CAR	16	0	144	717	5.0	75	4	23	175	7.6	30	1	13	231	17.8	29	0	1	1
2008	CAR	16	16	273	1,515	5.5	69	18	22	121	5.5	25	2	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2009	CAR	13	13	216	1,117	5.2	77	7	29	252	8.7	30	0	—	—	—	—	—	3	3
2010	CAR	6	6	87	361	4.1	39	1	11	61	5.5	14	0	—	—	—	—	—	1	1
2011	CAR	16	14	155	836	5.4	74	7	16	135	8.4	32	0	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
2012	CAR	16	10	173	737	4.3	65	5	13	187	14.4	53	2	—	—	—	—	—	2	2
2013	CAR	15	15	201	843	4.2	43	3	26	333	12.8	72	1	—	—	—	—	—	3	2
2014	CAR	6	6	63	219	3.5	17	0	5	44	8.8	30	0	–	–	–	–	–	1	1
2015	PIT	16	10	200	907	4.5	55	11	40	367	9.2	34	0	—	—	—	—	—	4	2
2016	PIT	9	4	98	343	3.5	17	4	18	118	6.6	20	2	—	—	—	—	—	0	0
Career		142	96	1,730	8,096	4.7	77	61	236	2,106	8.9	72	9	45	854	19.0	39	0	16	12

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2008	CAR	1	1	12	63	5.3	31	0	1	6	6.0	6	0	0	0
2013	CAR	1	1	5	13	2.6	7	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2014	CAR	2	0	6	30	5	12	0	2	2	1.0	2	0	0	0
2016	PIT	2	0	16	36	2.3	15	1	7	51	7.3	10	0	1	0
Career		6	2	39	142	3.6	31	1	10	59	5.9	10	0	1	0

Professional Wrestling Career

In 2017, DeAngelo Williams began a career in professional wrestling. He appeared on Impact Wrestling and announced his debut. He said he respected the sport and its wrestlers.

Williams made his wrestling debut at Slammiversary XV on July 2, 2017. He teamed with Moose, another former NFL player. They won their match against Chris Adonis and Eli Drake. Critics praised his performance in the match. Some even called it the best celebrity wrestling debut ever.

Williams announced his retirement from wrestling on July 5, 2017. However, he returned to Impact Wrestling in 2018 for a short time. On January 13, 2024, Williams returned to TNA at TNA Hard to Kill. He joined a group called The System. They helped Moose win the TNA World Championship.

Personal Life

DeAngelo Williams was born on April 25, 1983. His mother, Sandra Hill, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She passed away in 2014 after a ten-year battle. All four of his maternal aunts also died from breast cancer.

Williams is known for his work in breast cancer awareness. He helped start the NFL's "wearing pink" initiative. This program helps raise awareness for breast cancer. He works with Susan G. Komen and has pink highlights in his hair. In October 2019, he paid for 500 mammograms to honor his mother.

Williams also competed on The Amazing Race. He finished in fourth place with fellow former football player Gary Barnidge.

Images for kids

Williams at Slammiversary in 2017