DeAngelo Williams

DeAngelo Williams (born April 25, 1983 in Wynne, Arkansas) is an American football running back in the NFL who currently plays for the Carolina Panthers. He played for the University of Memphis Tigers in college and was drafted 27th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2006 NFL Draft.

2006 NFL Draft

In January, Williams attended the 2006 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, an annual event in which college seniors and professional prospects are evaluated by NFL personnel in preparation for the NFL Draft. His height was officially measured at 5'9, which led some scouts to question his potential as an undersized back in the NFL. However, scouting reports soon placed him among the most impressive performers during the practice week leading up to the Bowl, and Williams punctuated the week with a strong, if brief, showing in the game itself, rushing for 31 yards on 3 carries and catching 2 passes for 28 yards. For the Combine, Williams trained at D1 Sports Training in Nashville, TN.

On March 24, at Pro Day on the University of Memphis campus, Williams ostensibly improved his draft stock even further with an exceptional workout. He ran his 40 yard dash in 4.40 seconds with the wind and 4.48 seconds against the wind. He also impressed in the short shuttle, the three-cone drill, and the long shuttle. In addition, he recorded a 34½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-9 broad jump and caught the ball well in receiving drills.


Carolina Panthers

Though at one point he was considered a top ten pick, with some projecting him as high as #4 overall to the New York Jets, Williams saw his draft stock fall a bit in weeks preceding the draft, as many teams filled their needs at the running back position via free agency. On April 29, 2006, Williams was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 27th overall pick in the NFL Draft. He joined Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Laurence Maroney and Joseph Addai, among others, in a promising draft class at running back. Williams adopted the jersey number 34, which he wore in high school.


2006 Season

He played in the first five games of the 2006 season and looked promising as an alternative to DeShaun Foster in the Carolina backfield, compiling an impressive average of 5.3 yards per carry. He missed weeks 6 through 8 with a sprained ankle. In week 11 against St. Louis, Williams filled in for Foster, who had injured his elbow, and totaled 20 carries for 114 yards. In a Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams started for an injured DeShaun Foster and managed 74 rushing yards on 17 carries and an impressive 101 receiving yards on 7 catches with a touchdown. He had 501 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on the year.


2007 Season

In the 2007 season, Williams continued to backup DeShaun Foster. He had his first 100 yard game of the season in a win week six against the Arizona Cardinals. In the fourth quarter he clinched the win with a 75 yard scamper, only to be tackled short of the goal line. On the very next play he ran the ball to the right corner of endzone for his first touchdown of the season. The next five weeks, he had low numbers due to limited playing time. In the final week of the season, Williams rushed for 121 yards on 20 carries while scoring 2 touchdowns. He finished the season with 144 carries for 717 yards and was ninth in the NFL in yards per carry (5.0).


2008 Season

Williams established himself as the starting running back for the Panthers prior to the 2008 season. During the 2008 season, Williams shared carries with 2008 draft pick Jonathan Stewart, though Williams received a majority of the work. On November 30, 2008, Williams set a franchise record for rushing touchdowns in one game by scoring four touchdowns in a week 13 game against the Green Bay Packers. In week 15 of the 2008 season, Williams was selected FedEx Ground Player-of-the-Week after a dominating performance in which he rushed for 186 yards on 19 carries and 2 touchdowns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. On December 21, 2008, in a game against the New York Giants for the number one playoff seed, Williams rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns in an overtime loss.

Williams didn't fumble the entire 2008 season! Despite having a stellar season, he was unable to make the Pro Bowl over Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, and Clinton Portis. He finished the 08 season with 273 carries for 1,515 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, to go along with 22 catches for 121 yards and 2 more touchdowns. Williams credited much his 2008 success to a discussion with Vinny Testaverde and improved pre-game preparation. After the season, Williams was voted Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Football Writers of America's Most Improved Player of the Year.