Jesse Williams (American football) facts for kids
Williams with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015
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| No. 90 | |
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| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | 2 November 1990 Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 325 lb (147 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Cavendish Road (Brisbane, Queensland) |
| College: | Alabama |
| NFL Draft: | 2013 / Round: 5 / Pick: 137 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at PFR | |
Jesse Williams (born 2 November 1990) is an Australian former professional American football player. He was nicknamed "tha Monstar" because of his strong play. Jesse played as a defensive tackle, which is a position on the defensive line.
He played college football for the University of Alabama. There, he helped his team win two national championships in 2011 and 2012. The Seattle Seahawks picked him in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft. Even though he faced many injuries during his professional career, Jesse Williams made history. He became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring with the Seahawks in 2013.
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Early Life and First Steps in Football
Jesse Williams was born on Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. His parents were Torres Strait Islander people. He grew up in Brisbane and went to Norman Park State School and Cavendish Road State High School.
When he was younger, Jesse played rugby league and basketball. He didn't start playing American football until he was 14 years old. He joined a team called the Bayside Ravens. In his very first year, he was named Rookie of the Year. He also made the Queensland Under 19 team, which won the Australian National Championships. In 2008, he was named Defensive Player of the Year for the Ravens.
College Football Journey
Jesse first got a scholarship offer from the University of Hawaii. A scout saw him play during the Australian National Championships. However, he couldn't enroll there right away because he needed to complete some classes.
So, Jesse decided to go to Arizona Western College first. He was the first Indigenous Australian to get a scholarship to play college football in the United States. At Western, he became one of the top players from junior college. More than 25 schools offered him scholarships! In 2011, he chose to join the University of Alabama and play for coach Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
Playing for Alabama
In 2011, Jesse started every game for the Crimson Tide as a defensive end. He made 24 tackles and helped with half a quarterback sack. During the break, he became famous online. Pictures of him bench pressing a huge 600 pounds (about 272 kg) were shared on his Twitter.
Before the 2012 season, Jesse was named to several important award lists. He was also chosen for the ESPN.com Preseason All-America Team as a nose guard.
In 2012, Jesse was a starter for Alabama in 13 out of 14 games. He made 37 tackles, one quarterback sack, and blocked a kick. In one game, he even played on offence as a fullback! He helped his teammate Eddie Lacy score a touchdown. After the season, he was named to the AP All-SEC Second-team.
College Statistics
Jesse's performance in college was very strong. Here's a look at his stats:
| Year | School | Games Played–Started | 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 | 10–10 | 12 | 34 | 46 | 6.5–40 | 4–24 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0–0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | Arizona Western | 7–7 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 6–29 | 2–12 | 1–33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1–0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | Alabama | 13–13 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 4.0–10 | 0.5–1 | 0–0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Alabama | 13–13 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 2.5–8 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0–0 | 0 | 1 |
Professional Football Career
Before the NFL Scouting Combine, Jesse Williams was expected to do very well. He had a goal to break the record for bench pressing 225 pounds (102 kg). The record was 51 repetitions. He managed to do 30 repetitions, which is still very impressive!
Many thought he would be picked early in the 2013 NFL draft. The Seattle Seahawks chose him in the fifth round as the 137th overall pick.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+3⁄8 in (1.91 m) |
323 lb (147 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.94 s | 1.77 s | 2.90 s | 4.83 s | 7.81 s | 30 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Jesse signed his first contract with Seattle in May 2013. Unfortunately, he faced a lot of injuries. In August 2013, he was placed on the injured reserve list for the whole 2013 season because of a knee injury. This meant he couldn't play any games that year. Even though he didn't play, the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII. This made Jesse the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring!
In August 2014, Jesse was again placed on the injured reserve list for the 2014 season, also due to a knee injury. He didn't play in any regular season games for a second year in a row. The Seahawks released him in March 2015, but then re-signed him a month later. He was finally waived by the Seahawks in March 2016.
Life After Football
In May 2015, Jesse Williams was diagnosed with a type of cancer called papillary Type 2 cancer. He also needed kidney surgery. He bravely stated, "I am a fighter and will handle this. I am going to focus on my health and fighting this battle with a return to football as my ultimate goal."
Jesse has a son named Wolf. After his football career, Jesse became a strength and conditioning coach. He is very passionate about helping American football grow in Australia. He also does a lot of community work in the area where he grew up.
