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 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 Canadian Football League (CFL).
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Early Life and High School
William O. Powell II was born on March 9, 1988, in Houston, Texas. When he was about one year old, his family moved to Dallas, Texas. William graduated from Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, in 2006. He is the middle child, with two sisters named Brittanye and Jasmyn.
College Football Journey
William Powell played College football at two different schools. He started at Navarro Junior College. Later, he moved to Kansas State University.
At Navarro, William was not a starter at first. However, in his final year in 2008, he earned a starting spot. He became the team's top rusher that year. He gained 937 rushing yards and scored 8 touchdowns. He also averaged an impressive 6.7 yards every time he carried the ball.
Kansas State University
After Navarro, William went to Kansas State. He began playing on special teams. Later, he became the second-string running back. He was also given the important job of kickoff returner. He was excellent at this, leading the country with an average of 34.5 yards per kickoff return. His season was cut short by a toe injury during a game against the Texas Longhorns. This happened after he scored his fourth college rushing touchdown.
Professional Football Career
William Powell was not chosen in the 2011 NFL draft. However, he still got a chance to play professional football.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals signed William Powell in 2011. He was later added to the Cardinals' practice squad. In 2012, he made the main 53-player roster. He even started his first NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers. He finished that season with 217 rushing yards. He signed a new contract with the Cardinals in 2013 but was later released.
Short Stints in the NFL
After leaving the Cardinals, William had brief periods with a few other NFL teams.
- In 2013, the Philadelphia Eagles tried to sign him, but it didn't work out.
- In 2014, he signed a contract with the Houston Texans but was released soon after.
- Later in 2014, he joined the Detroit Lions but was also released within a month.
=Ottawa Redblacks (First Time)
On September 8, 2015, William Powell joined the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He made his first CFL appearance on October 6, 2015. This happened after the starting running back was injured. William 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, William suffered an Achilles injury during a preseason game. This meant he missed the entire 2016 CFL season. He signed a new contract with the Redblacks in 2017. On September 29, he 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. In 2018, he had another great season. He rushed for 1,362 yards and scored six touchdowns in 16 games.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
On February 12, 2019, William 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 cancelled. However, William signed a new contract with the Roughriders in December 2020. In the shorter 2021 season, he rushed for 733 yards and scored three touchdowns. He became a free agent in February 2022.
Ottawa Redblacks (Second Time)
On February 8, 2022, the Redblacks announced that William Powell was returning to their team. He played for them during the 2022 season. On February 14, 2023, William became a free agent again.
