DeAngelo Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
DeAngelo Williams
|
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Williams with the Steelers in 2016
|
|||||||||||||
| Born |
DeAngelo Chondon Williams
April 25, 1983 Little Rock, 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 | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
|
College Football Hall of Fame
|
|||||||||||||
|
Professional wrestling career
|
|||||||||||||
.jpg)
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 earned top honors as an All-American in 2005. The Carolina Panthers picked him in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was a key player for the Panthers alongside Jonathan Stewart. Later, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2015 to 2016.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
DeAngelo Williams grew up in Wynne, Arkansas. He was a star running back for the Wynne High School football team. In 2000, as a junior, he ran for over 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. This earned him a spot on the Arkansas All-State team.
Record-Breaking Senior Year
During his senior year, Williams set a school record. He rushed for an amazing 2,204 yards and scored 34 touchdowns. He helped his team reach the state 4A championship. He was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Offensive Player of the Year.
Talent Beyond Football
Williams was also a talented track & field athlete. He still holds the state 4A record for the 100-meter dash. He ran it in 10.81 seconds. He was considered one of the best running back prospects in the country. He chose to play college football at the University of Memphis.
College Football Career at Memphis
Williams played for the Memphis Tigers football team. He quickly became a standout player.
Freshman Season (2002)
As a freshman, Williams played in 10 games. In his very first game, he rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown. He led the team with 684 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Sophomore Season (2003)
Williams had an incredible sophomore year. 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 school history at the time. He was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
Junior Season (2004)
Williams continued his success in 2004. He had a streak of 11 straight games with over 100 rushing yards. In one game, he rushed for 262 yards, a home game record for Memphis. He led the nation with 22 rushing touchdowns. He also had 1,948 rushing yards. For the second year in a row, he was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
Senior Season (2005)
Before his senior year, Williams was considered a top player for the Heisman Trophy award. He had ten straight games with over 100 rushing yards. In his final college game, the 2005 Motor City Bowl, he ran for 238 yards and scored three touchdowns. This made him the top rusher in college football for 2005. He was also named an All-America selection. For the third year in a row, he was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
College Legacy and Records
DeAngelo Williams ended his college career with 6,026 rushing yards. This is a school record. He also holds the record for 55 rushing touchdowns. He is the only player in Memphis history to have ten 100-yard games in three separate seasons. He holds the NCAA record for 100-yard rushing games (34). He also has the NCAA record for All-purpose yards (7,573). In 2012, Memphis started naming their "Most Valuable Player" award the "DeAngelo Williams MVP Award."
Professional Football Career
Williams was a highly anticipated player in the 2006 NFL draft.
Joining the Carolina Panthers (2006-2014)
The Carolina Panthers selected Williams with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He chose jersey number 34, the same as his hero, Ricky Williams.
Rookie Season (2006)
In his first NFL season, Williams showed great promise. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry. In Week 2, he scored his first professional touchdown. He also had a game with 101 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. He finished the year with 501 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
Building Momentum (2007)
Williams continued to improve in 2007. He had a 75-yard run, which was the longest in team history at the time. He finished the season with 717 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Breakout Season (2008)
_(cropped).jpg)
In 2008, Williams became the Panthers' main running back. He shared carries with rookie Jonathan Stewart. Williams had an amazing season, rushing for over 100 yards in four straight games. He set a team record by scoring four rushing touchdowns in one game against the Green Bay Packers. He also had 186 rushing yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Williams finished the 2008 season with 1,515 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. He also had two receiving touchdowns. He did not fumble the ball all season. He was named to the All-Pro team.
Pro Bowl Season (2009)
Despite missing some games due to injury, Williams had another strong season in 2009. He rushed for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns. He and Jonathan Stewart became the first running back duo since 1970 to each rush for over 1,110 yards. Williams earned a spot in the 2010 Pro Bowl.
Injuries and Later Years (2010-2014)
In 2010, Williams suffered a foot injury that ended his season early. He signed a new contract with the Panthers in 2011. In 2011, with new quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers had a strong running game. Williams contributed 836 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
In 2012, Williams had a career-high 210 rushing yards in a game against the New Orleans Saints. He finished the season with 737 rushing yards. In 2013, he had 843 rushing yards. The Panthers made the playoffs, but lost in the Divisional Round.
The 2014 season was tough for Williams due to several injuries. He only played in six games and did not score a touchdown. The Panthers released him in March 2015.
Panthers Franchise Records
Williams holds several Carolina Panthers franchise records, including:
- Most 50+ yard rushes in a career: 11
- Most rushing yards in a season: 1,515 (2008)
- Most rushing touchdowns in a season: 18 (2008)
- Most total touchdowns in a season: 20 (2008)
- Most rushing touchdowns in a game: 4 (twice in 2008)
- Most 100+ yard rushing games in a career: 18
- Most seasons with 1,000+ rushing yards: 2
Playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2015-2016)
In March 2015, Williams signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2015 Season Highlights
Williams started strong with the Steelers. In his first game, he ran for 127 yards. In Week 2, he scored three touchdowns. He became the starting running back after Le'Veon Bell was injured. In Week 9, Williams had a season-high 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He finished the 2015 season with 907 rushing yards. He tied for the league-lead with 11 rushing touchdowns. At 32, he was the oldest player to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns since 1993.
Final NFL Season (2016)
Williams again started the 2016 season as the Steelers' main running back due to another Bell suspension. He rushed for 146 yards in the season opener. He finished the season with 343 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Steelers made it to the AFC Championship game. In what was his final professional game, he had 34 rushing yards and a touchdown. He announced his retirement from the NFL on June 25, 2018.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff Returns | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 62 | 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 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 5.0 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | PIT | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | |||||||||||
| 2016 | PIT | 3 | 0 | 16 | 36 | 2.3 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 51 | 7.3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 7 | 2 | 39 | 142 | 3.6 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 59 | 5.9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||
Professional Wrestling Career
After his football career, Williams also became a professional wrestler.
Debut and Early Matches
Williams appeared on Impact Wrestling in April 2017. He announced he would make his wrestling debut at a pay-per-view event. He said he had great respect for the sport.
He debuted at Slammiversary XV on July 2, 2017. He teamed with Moose (also a former NFL player). They won their match against Chris Adonis and Eli Drake. Critics praised Williams's performance. Some even compared him to famous wrestlers like Kurt Angle. Journalist Dave Meltzer called it the "best in-ring performance by a celebrity in wrestling history."
Williams announced his retirement from wrestling just three days later. However, he later said he would return to Impact Wrestling in July 2018. He started a storyline with Austin Aries but did not appear much after that.
Return to TNA and The System
On January 13, 2024, Williams made a surprise return to TNA at TNA Hard to Kill. He joined a group called The System. This group included Eddie Edwards, Brian Myers, Alisha Edwards, and Moose. They helped Moose win the TNA World Championship in the main event.
Personal Life and Advocacy
DeAngelo Williams was born on April 25, 1983. His mother, Sandra Hill, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She bravely fought the illness for ten years before she passed away in May 2014. All four of his maternal aunts also died from breast cancer.
Williams has become a strong advocate for breast cancer awareness. He helped start the NFL's breast cancer awareness and "wearing pink" initiative. He works with Susan G. Komen to support the fight against the disease. He even has pink highlights in his dreadlocks to show his support. In October 2019, he sponsored 500 mammograms to honor his mother.
Williams also competed on the 32nd season of The Amazing Race. He teamed up with fellow former football player Gary Barnidge. They finished in fourth place.
Images for kids
-
Williams at Slammiversary in 2017
See also
In Spanish: DeAngelo Williams para niños
