Juice Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Juice Williams

Juice Williams at a fan event in 2007.
No. 7
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1987-11-19) November 19, 1987 (age 37) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	226 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:	Chicago (IL) Vocational
College:	Illinois
Undrafted:	2010
Career history
Chicago Slaughter (2011–2013) Chicago Blitz (2014) Central Penn Capitals (2016)
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Big Ten (2008) First Team All-CIFL (2014)

Isiah John "Juice" Williams (born November 19, 1987) is a former American football quarterback. He is best known for his time playing college football for the University of Illinois. When he finished high school in 2005, many colleges wanted him to play for their team.

Early Life and Nickname

Isiah John Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, to his parents Stanley and Anita Williams. He was a very large baby, weighing 13 pounds and 8 ounces. He is the youngest of four children, with two brothers and one sister.

His grandmother gave him the nickname "Juice" because he was so big as a baby. "I was kind of big … you know, big and juicy, I guess," he once explained.

In high school, Williams was a good student. He went to Chicago Vocational High School, the same school that football legend Dick Butkus attended. Williams was also active in his church and helped out in his community.

College Recruiting

Many top colleges wanted Williams to be their quarterback. He was considered a four-star recruit, which is a high rating for a high school athlete.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Isiah Williams QB	Chicago Illinois	Chicago Vocational High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	207 lb (94 kg)	4.77	May 28, 2005
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 82
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 5 (QB)   Rivals: 3 (QB), 2 (IL), 80 National  ESPN: 8 (QB), 11 (East Region)
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Football Career

Freshman Year (2006)

Williams started his college career at the University of Illinois. In his first few games, he shared playing time with an older quarterback. He threw his first college touchdown pass against Syracuse, a 76-yard pass to Rashard Mendenhall.

Williams gets ready to start a play against Purdue in 2006.

A major moment came on September 30, 2006. Williams led his team, the Illini, to a surprise 23–20 victory over Michigan State. No one expected Illinois to win. Williams had 122 passing yards and 103 rushing yards in the game. However, the team struggled for the rest of the season, and Williams's performance was inconsistent.

Sophomore Year (2007)

In his second year, Williams helped lead the Illini to a much better season. The team had big wins against ranked teams like Penn State and Wisconsin.

The most famous game of the season was against the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Williams played an amazing game, throwing four touchdown passes to lead Illinois to a 28–21 victory. It was the first time Illinois had beaten a top-ranked team since 1956.

Thanks to Williams, the Illini finished the regular season with a 9–3 record. They were invited to play in the famous Rose Bowl against the USC Trojans. Although Illinois lost the game, it was a huge achievement for the team.

Junior Year (2008)

By his junior year, Williams was a star player. In a game against Michigan, he had 431 total yards of offense (310 passing and 121 rushing). This was the most yards ever gained by a single player in Michigan Stadium.

Even though the team had some tough losses, Williams continued to put up impressive numbers. He threw for a career-high 462 yards in one game against Minnesota. He was named to the Second-Team All-Big Ten, an honor for the best players in the conference.

Senior Year (2009)

In his final year, Williams was recognized as one of the top senior quarterbacks in the country. He was named to the watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

During a game against Fresno State, Williams broke a record. He became second in Illinois history with 56 career touchdown passes. He finished his college career as one of the most successful quarterbacks in the school's history.

Career Statistics

Statistics are from his time in high school and college.

Passing Stats

Rushing Stats

Professional Football Career

After college, Williams hoped to play in the NFL. He was not chosen in the 2010 NFL draft, but the Chicago Bears invited him to a tryout. However, he did not make the team.

Williams then played professional indoor football for several years. He played for teams like the Chicago Slaughter, the Chicago Blitz, and the Central Penn Capitals.

Life After Football

In 2014, Williams returned to the University of Illinois to work with former players and alumni. A year later, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work for Georgetown University's athletic department.

After his time at Georgetown, Williams decided to start a new career as a financial advisor. He now works as the CEO and Partner at a financial advisory company in Maryland.