Doug Williams (quarterback) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Doug Williams

Williams in 2021
Washington Commanders
Position:	Senior advisor
Personal information
Born:	(1955-08-09) August 9, 1955 (age 69) Zachary, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Chaneyville (Zachary)
College:	Grambling State (1974–1977)
NFL Draft:	1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17
Career history
As player:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1978) Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws (1984–1985) Washington Redskins (1986)
As coach:
Pointe Coupee Central (LA) (1991) Head coach Northeast HS (LA) (1993) Head coach Navy (1994) Running backs coach Scottish Claymores (1995) Offensive coordinator Morehouse (1997) Head coach Grambling State (1998–2003, 2011–2013) Head coach
As executive:
Jacksonville Jaguars (1995) College scout Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004) Personnel executive Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009) Coordinator of pro scouting Virginia Destroyers (2010–2011) General manager Washington Redskins (2014) Personnel executive Washington Redskins (2017) Senior vice president of player personnel Washington Football Team (2020) Senior vice president of player development Washington Football Team / Commanders (2021–present) Senior advisor
Career highlights and awards
As a player: Super Bowl champion (XXII) Super Bowl MVP (XXII) PFWA All-Rookie Team (1978) Washington Commanders 90 Greatest Washington Commanders Ring of Fame Tampa Stadium Krewe of Honor Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor First-team All-American (1977) Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (1993) Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame As a coach: 2× black college national champion (2000, 2001) 4× SWAC champion (2000–2002, 2011) 3× SWAC Coach of the Year (2000–2002)
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 2,507 Passing completions: 1,240 Completion percentage: 49.5 TD–INT: 100–93 Passing yards: 16,998 Passer rating: 69.4
Head coaching record
Career:	64–42 (.604)
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

Douglas Lee Williams (born August 9, 1955) is an American football expert. He used to be a quarterback and coach. Today, he is a senior advisor for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Williams is famous for his amazing game in Super Bowl XXII. He played for the Washington Redskins against the Denver Broncos.

In that game, he became the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl. He was also named the Super Bowl MVP. He broke two Super Bowl records for passing. He threw for 340 yards and was the first to throw four touchdowns in just one quarter! After playing, Williams became a coach. He was the head coach for the Grambling State Tigers. Later, he worked as an executive for teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders.

Doug Williams' College Football Days

Williams played quarterback for the Grambling State Tigers from 1974 to 1977. He was a starter for four years. During that time, his team had a great record of 36 wins and only 7 losses. He led the Tigers to win three Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships. Williams was named the Black College Player of the Year twice.

In 1977, Williams was a top player in college football. He led the NCAA in many areas. These included total yards (3,249), passing yards (3,286), and touchdown passes (38). He even finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. This award goes to the most outstanding college football player. After college, Williams started teaching while working on his master's degree.

Even with all his success, only one NFL coach came to scout him. That was Joe Gibbs, who was an offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gibbs spent two days watching Williams. He was very impressed by Williams' calm attitude and hard work. Gibbs thought Williams was the best quarterback in the draft. He wrote that Williams had a "big-time arm" and was a "natural leader." He told the Buccaneers to pick Williams in the first round.

Doug Williams' Pro Football Journey

Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Because Joe Gibbs recommended him, Tampa Bay picked Williams in the first round of the 1978 NFL draft. He was the 17th player chosen overall. This made him the first African-American quarterback ever picked in the first round of an NFL draft. In his first preseason game, his long pass drew a huge cheer from the crowd. He was the first quarterback for the Buccaneers who could throw long passes.

In 1979, Williams and Vince Evans of the Chicago Bears made history. It was the first NFL game where both starting quarterbacks were black. The Tampa Bay team had only won two games in their first two years. But with Williams as their starter, they made it to the playoffs three times in five seasons. They even played in the 1979 NFC Championship game. Williams got better at passing every season he played for Tampa Bay.

Williams was the only starting African-American quarterback in the NFL back then. He faced unfair treatment from fans and even some coaches. One time, a coach was very harsh with Williams. Joe Gibbs, who was far away, ran over and told the coach to stop. Williams said that after that, the coach never treated him badly again.

During his time with the Buccaneers, Williams earned $120,000 a year. This was the lowest salary for any starting quarterback in the league. After the 1982 season, Williams asked for a higher salary. But the team owner, Hugh Culverhouse, would not agree. Williams felt he was not being paid fairly, so he did not play in the 1983 season. That year, the Buccaneers won only two games. They did not make the playoffs again for 14 years. Many people thought it was unfair that the owner let Williams leave over money. This happened just months after Williams' wife passed away.

Playing for the Oklahoma / Arizona Outlaws

After not playing for a year, Williams joined the Oklahoma Outlaws. This was a new league called the United States Football League (USFL). He signed a huge contract for $3 million, with a $1 million bonus. This made him one of the highest-paid players in football. Williams said the team owners treated him "as a human," which made him want to join them.

In 1984, Williams led the Outlaws in passing. He threw for 3,084 yards and 15 touchdowns. The next year, the team moved to Arizona and became the Arizona Outlaws. Williams improved, throwing for 3,673 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Playing for the Washington Redskins

When the USFL closed down in 1986, Williams returned to the NFL. He joined the Washington Redskins. He was reunited with his old coach, Joe Gibbs, who was now the Redskins' head coach. At first, Williams was the backup quarterback. But when the starter, Jay Schroeder, got hurt, Williams stepped in. He led the Redskins to a win in their first game of the 1987 season.

Williams and Schroeder had a bit of a rivalry. But Williams helped the team win three times that season when Schroeder was injured. At the end of the season, Williams was chosen to start the playoff games. He had a great passer rating of 94.0. He then led the team to Super Bowl XXII. They easily beat the Denver Broncos. This made him the first black quarterback to play in and win a Super Bowl.

Williams attempting a pass for the Washington Redskins in 1987

A famous story says that a reporter asked Williams, "How long have you been a black quarterback?" Williams supposedly replied, "I've been a quarterback since high school, and I've been black all my life." Williams later confirmed this story was true. He thought the reporter might have been nervous and didn't mean any harm.

The day before Super Bowl XXII, Williams had a long dental surgery. But on January 31, 1988, he led the Redskins to a huge 42–10 victory over the Broncos. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 340 yards. He also threw four touchdown passes. All four touchdowns were thrown in the second quarter! This set a Super Bowl record. It was part of a 35-point second quarter that sealed the win. He was named Super Bowl MVP for his amazing performance. This made him the first African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl and be named its MVP. He broke the Super Bowl record for passing yards.

The next season, Williams had injuries. Another quarterback, Mark Rypien, played better and became the starter. Even though they were competing, Williams and Rypien supported each other. T-shirts were even sold that said "United We Stand," showing them as cartoon characters. Williams played one more season in 1989 as Rypien's backup.

Money was a big reason Williams left the Redskins. The team decided to sign another backup quarterback for less money. Williams felt that other teams didn't want to sign him because of racism. He retired from playing football. He finished his NFL career with 100 passing touchdowns and 15 rushing touchdowns in 88 games.

Doug Williams' Coaching and Executive Roles

Williams (left) as head coach of Grambling State posing with Marine general Ronald L. Bailey (right) in 2011

After leaving the NFL, Williams worked as a college football analyst on TV in 1990. But he missed being part of football. In 1991, he became a high school head coach in Louisiana. His team had a 5–5 record and even beat a highly ranked school.

In 1992, Williams coached at his old high school. The field there was named after him! He led his team to a perfect regular season. They made it to the state semi-finals. His team even beat a team led by future NFL star Peyton Manning.

Williams then moved to college coaching in 1994. He was a running backs coach for the United States Naval Academy. He also worked as an offensive coordinator for a team in Europe and as a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Williams became a college head coach at Morehouse College in 1997. In 1998, he became the head football coach at Grambling State University. He took over from the famous coach Eddie Robinson. Williams led the Tigers to win three Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in a row from 2000 to 2002. After that, he went back to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to work as a personnel executive.

Williams in 2015

In 2008, on the 20th anniversary of his Super Bowl win, Williams carried the Vince Lombardi trophy onto the field at Super Bowl XLII. He later became the director of professional scouting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009. He left that job in 2010.

Williams then became the general manager for a team called the Virginia Destroyers in the United Football League. In 2011, he left that role to become the head football coach at Grambling State University again. He coached there until 2013.

In 2014, Williams returned to the Redskins as a personnel executive. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Player Personnel in 2017. In 2020, he became the team's senior vice president of player development. The next year, he became a senior advisor to the team president.

Doug Williams' Career Statistics

USFL Career Stats

NFL Career Stats

Doug Williams' Personal Life

Williams was born in Zachary, Louisiana. He and his wife, Raunda, have eight children. His sons, Adrian and D.J., are both talented college athletes. His daughter Laura is committed to playing basketball at the University of Southern California. Doug's nephew, Johnny Huggins, also played in the NFL.

In 2009, Williams and another Grambling State graduate, James Harris, started the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Each year, they honor great football players from historically black colleges and universities. In 2019, Grambling State named a street on their campus after Williams to honor him.

Doug Williams' Head Coaching Record

^* Williams was fired on September 11, 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Doug Williams para niños

• List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders
• List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders
• Racial issues faced by black quarterbacks