Shomari Williams facts for kids
| UBC Thunderbirds | |
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| Born: | March 8, 1985 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | Defensive line coach |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Weight | 232 lb (105 kg) |
| University | Queen's |
| CFL draft | 2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 |
| Drafted by | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 2018 | Queen's Gaels (AC) |
| 2019–present | UBC Thunderbirds (DLC) |
| As player | |
| 2010–2012 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 2013 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 2014 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 2015 | Calgary Stampeders* |
| 2015 | Edmonton Eskimos* |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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2009 Vanier Cup Champion
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| Honours |
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| Career stats | |
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Shomari Gyasi Williams (born March 8, 1985) is a Canadian football coach. He works as the defensive line coach for the UBC Thunderbirds team. He also helps find new players for the team. Before coaching, Shomari was a professional Canadian football player. He played as a defensive end for six seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Saskatchewan Roughriders chose him first in the 2010 CFL Draft. He also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Shomari played college football for the Queen's Golden Gaels and the Houston Cougars.
Shomari also runs two companies. These companies help high school student athletes. They help students get noticed by colleges and earn sports scholarships. One company, Student Blitz, helped many Canadian players get scholarships in the USA. His Canadian company, Top Prospects, has a large list of high school football players.
Contents
Shomari Williams: A Football Journey
Early Football Days
High School Highlights
Shomari Williams started playing football at North Park Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. He played for the North Park Vikings. Later, he went to Champlain Regional Prep in Lennoxville, Quebec, for two years. He was named his team's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He also earned a spot on the All-Canadian team in high school. In one game, Shomari made 11 tackles and caused the other team to lose the ball. Many universities wanted him to play for them, including the University of Houston and Rutgers.
University Football
Shomari first played for the Houston Cougars at the University of Houston. He mostly played on special teams, which are groups of players used for specific plays like kickoffs. In his first year, he also played as a fullback. During his second year, he played in all 13 games, which was the most he played at Houston. After his third year, Shomari moved to Queen's University in Canada. He had already finished his degree in business at Houston. He wanted to continue his education in Canada.
At Queen's University, Shomari played as a defensive end for the Queen's Golden Gaels. He played in six regular season games. He made 32 tackles and four sacks (tackling the opposing quarterback). He was named Queen's University Athlete of the Week twice. In the playoffs, he played even better. He made 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks in four playoff games. Shomari was named MVP of the 2009 Mitchell Bowl. In that game, Queen's beat the Laval Rouge et Or. Queen's then won the 2009 Vanier Cup, which is like the national championship for Canadian university football.
Playing Pro Football
Starting with the Roughriders
Shomari did very well at the CFL Evaluation Camp. This camp helps teams find new players. He was named the top player for the 2010 CFL Draft. The Toronto Argonauts had the first pick in the draft. But they traded it to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. This allowed the Roughriders to pick Shomari first overall. On May 2, 2010, Shomari was introduced as the first pick. He signed a contract with the Roughriders soon after.
Shomari played three seasons with the Roughriders. In his first two years, he mostly played on special teams. In his third year, he played much more as a defensive end and linebacker. He made 59 tackles and 2 sacks that season.
Time with the Tiger-Cats
On February 15, 2013, Shomari signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. This was the first day that players could sign with new teams. In 2013, Shomari missed a lot of the season with the Tiger-Cats because of an injury.
Back to the Roughriders
On February 17, 2014, Shomari was traded back to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He played in all 18 regular season games that year. He made 17 tackles on special teams. He left the team on March 2, 2015.
Playing for the Stampeders
On March 10, 2015, Shomari signed a contract with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.
Coaching Future Stars
Coaching at Queen's
On July 16, 2018, Shomari Williams joined the Queen's Gaels as an assistant coach. He was in charge of finding new players for the team. He coached for his old university team during the 2018 U Sports football season.
Coaching at UBC
For the 2019 U Sports football season, Shomari joined the UBC Thunderbirds. He became their defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. He helps train the defensive line players and finds new talent for the team.
