William Powell (gridiron football) facts for kids
Powell with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | March 9, 1988 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Duncanville (TX) | ||||||||||
| College: | Kansas State | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2011 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| CFL status: | American | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
| Player stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||||
William O. Powell II, born on March 9, 1988, is an American professional football player. He is a talented running back who has played for several teams. These include the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, and Detroit Lions in the NFL. He also played for the Ottawa Redblacks and Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL.
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Early Life and High School
William O. Powell II was born in Houston, Texas, on March 9, 1988. When he was about one year old, his family moved to Dallas, Texas. Powell graduated from Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, in 2006. He is the middle child, with two sisters named Brittanye and Jasmyn.
College Football Career
Powell played College football at Navarro Junior College before moving to Kansas State University. He was not a starter at first. However, in 2008, his final year at Navarro, he became a starter. He led his team in rushing yards with 937 and scored 8 touchdowns.
At Kansas State, he started as a special teams player. Later, he became the second-string running back. He also became a kickoff returner, leading the nation in kickoff return average with 34.5 yards. His season ended early due to a toe injury he got while playing against the Texas Longhorns.
Professional Football Journey
Starting in the NFL
William Powell was not chosen in the 2011 NFL draft. However, the Arizona Cardinals signed him. He was later waived but then rejoined their practice squad. In 2012, Powell made the Cardinals' main roster. He had his first NFL start against the San Francisco 49ers. He finished that season with 217 rushing yards.
In 2013, Powell signed another contract with the Cardinals. But he was waived before training camp after the team signed other running backs.
Short Stints with Other NFL Teams
Powell then had brief periods with a few other NFL teams.
- On July 24, 2013, the Philadelphia Eagles picked him up. However, he was waived two days later because he did not pass his physical exam.
- The Houston Texans signed Powell to a two-year contract on August 11, 2014. They released him later that month.
- Powell signed with the Detroit Lions on September 30, 2014. He was released by them on October 22, 2014.
Success in the CFL: Ottawa Redblacks (First Time)
On September 8, 2015, Powell signed with the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He made his first professional appearance on October 6, 2015. This happened after the starting running back got injured. Powell started the last five games of the 2015 CFL season. He ran for 447 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 158 yards and one receiving touchdown.
In 2016, Powell unfortunately missed the entire 2016 CFL season due to an Achilles injury. This injury happened during a preseason game. He signed a new contract with the Redblacks in January 2017. On September 29, 2017, Powell set a Redblacks team record. He rushed for 187 yards in a single game. Even though he missed six games, he finished second in the league in rushing yards with 1,026. He signed another one-year contract with the Redblacks in January 2018. In 2018, he had 1,362 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 16 games.
Playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
On February 12, 2019, Powell signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He played in all 18 regular season games in 2019. He carried the ball 215 times for 1,093 yards. He also led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns that year.
The 2020 CFL season was canceled. Powell then signed a one-year contract extension with the Roughriders in December 2020. In the shorter 2021 season, he had 168 rushing attempts for 733 yards and three touchdowns. His contract ended on February 8, 2022, and he became a free agent.
Back with the Ottawa Redblacks (Second Time)
On February 8, 2022, the Redblacks announced that they had re-signed William Powell for the 2022 season. This happened when the free agent period began. On February 14, 2023, Powell became a free agent again.
