K'Waun Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
K'Waun Williams

Williams with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017
No. 36, 24, 21
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	(1991-07-12) July 12, 1991 (age 33) Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:	Saint Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey)
College:	Pittsburgh (2010–2013)
Undrafted:	2014
Career history
Cleveland Browns (2014–2015) Chicago Bears (2016)* San Francisco 49ers (2017–2021) Denver Broncos (2022–2023)
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles: 345 Sacks: 8.0 Forced fumbles: 11 Fumble recoveries: 3 Pass deflections: 34 Interceptions: 5
Player stats at PFR

K'Waun Lamar Williams (born July 12, 1991) is an American former professional football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). K'Waun played for the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos from 2014 to 2023. Before joining the NFL, he played college football at Pittsburgh.

Early Life and High School Football

K'Waun Williams grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He played high school football for the Green Knights at Saint Joseph Regional High School. During his time there, he played several positions. He was a running back, wide receiver, and cornerback.

K'Waun was recognized as an All-New Jersey player. In his final year of high school, he had impressive stats. He made 32 tackles and caught two interceptions. He also recovered two fumbles. On offense, he scored four rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns. K'Waun is of Jamaican descent.

College Football Career

After high school, Williams went on to play college football. He played for the Pittsburgh Panthers. His college career lasted from 2010 to 2013.

Professional Football Journey

Starting in the NFL

Before the 2014 NFL draft, experts ranked Williams as a good cornerback prospect. However, he was not chosen by any team in the draft. Even so, he received offers for a tryout from two teams. These were the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Williams decided to join the Browns. He chose them because he wanted to work again with Jeff Hafley. Hafley was his position coach in college and had recruited him to Pittsburgh.

Time with the Cleveland Browns

Williams with the Cleveland Browns in 2014

The Cleveland Browns signed K'Waun Williams on May 20, 2014. He signed a two-year contract.

2014 Season Highlights

During training camp, Williams worked hard to earn a spot on the team. He competed to be a backup cornerback and a player on special teams. He also tried out for the backup nickelback position. The head coach, Mike Pettine, named Williams the seventh cornerback. He was also the backup nickelback.

Williams played his first professional game against the Steelers. He made three tackles in that game. He stepped in as the nickelback when another player had trouble covering passes. In Week 5, he had a great game against the Tennessee Titans. He made six tackles, blocked a pass, and got his first career sack. He sacked the opposing quarterback for a six-yard loss.

The next week, Williams started his first game as a nickelback. He made a tackle and blocked two passes. He had to leave the game early due to a concussion. He missed the next game because of it. Later in the season, he made eight tackles against the Houston Texans. He also missed two games due to a hamstring injury. In his first year (2014), he played in 13 games and started four. He finished with 38 tackles, eight pass deflections, and one sack.

2015 Season with the Browns

In 2015, Williams became the main nickelback for the Browns. This happened after the previous nickelback left the team. The coach named him the third cornerback on the team.

In Week 2, he made three tackles and sacked quarterback Marcus Mariota. He missed two games later in the season because of another concussion. In Week 10, he made five tackles against the Steelers. He also missed a game due to a shoulder injury. For the 2015 season, Williams played in 13 games and started six. He had 39 tackles, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one sack.

2016 Challenges

In August 2016, Williams had an ankle injury. He chose not to play in a pre-season game because of it. The Browns suspended him for two weeks. They also fined him because of a disagreement about his injury. Williams got a second opinion from a doctor. The doctor said he needed surgery to remove bone spurs from his ankle. Williams planned to appeal the suspension. He was also thinking about retiring. On August 29, 2016, the Browns released him from the team.

Short Time with the Chicago Bears

On August 30, 2016, the Chicago Bears tried to sign Williams. However, the deal did not go through. This was because Williams failed a physical exam due to his ankle injury. On November 3, 2016, Williams had surgery on his ankle. Doctors expected him to recover within 12 weeks.

After his surgery, Williams was medically cleared to play. Several teams offered him contracts. These included the Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and 49ers.

Joining the San Francisco 49ers

On February 21, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers signed K'Waun Williams. He signed a one-year contract. This move allowed him to work again with coach Jeff Hafley. Hafley was his coach with the Browns and in college.

During training camp, Williams competed for the starting nickelback position. Head coach Kyle Shanahan named him the first-team nickelback for the season.

On September 29, 2017, the 49ers gave Williams a new contract. It was a three-year extension. In Week 4, he made eight tackles against the Arizona Cardinals. He missed two games later in the season because of a quadriceps injury. On December 24, 2017, Williams had a great game against the Jaguars. He made five tackles, blocked two passes, and got his first career interception. He intercepted a pass and ran it back 27 yards.

He finished the 2017 season with his career-high of 54 tackles. He also had five pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one interception, and one sack. Football experts gave him a high grade for his performance that year.

Later Years with the 49ers

In October 2020, Williams was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury. He was able to return to play later that month. In November 2020, he faced a temporary suspension for an issue with league rules, but this was quickly cleared up. On March 26, 2021, Williams signed again with the 49ers.

Playing for the Denver Broncos

On March 23, 2022, Williams signed a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos. In November, it was announced that he would have surgery on his knee. This surgery was to remove scar tissue from a previous operation. The recovery time was set for about four weeks.

On August 31, 2023, Williams was placed on injured reserve. He was released by the Broncos on August 27, 2024. On January 14, 2025, Williams' agent announced that he planned to retire from the NFL.

Career Statistics

Here are K'Waun Williams' career statistics in the NFL:

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