Brock Williams
Encyclopedia
Brock Williams is a former professional American football
cornerback
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. He played college football
for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
.
Williams has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders
and Chicago Bears
.
. He was one of six children and his brother John played at Southern
. As a senior in 1996 he had 102 tackles and 15 pass deflections. He was named to the Super Southern 100 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a third team pick on the All-South team by Fox Sports South. The coaches in the Louisiana area also chose Williams as district MVP
after he played running back
, cornerback
and returned kicks.
and majored in sociology
. As a freshman in 1997, he played in eight games making 97 appearances on special teams. For the first time in his college career he played cornerback
against Pittsburgh
. He broke into the starting lineup against Purdue
in week four and played in all 12 of the Irish's games. He had eight tackles against Stanford
, six against Boston College
and seven against LSU
. After not playing in 1999 as a junior, he was named the Irish's starting left cornerback in 2000. He led defenders in playing time during 2000 and played in all 13 games which included the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game against Oregon State
. Williams made three tackles against Texas A&M
, eight tackles against Michigan State
and had seven tackles against Stanford, a game in which he recorded his first sack.
in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. As a rookie, Williams tore his anterior cruciate ligament
and was placed on injured reserve
after being active for only one game but not playing. In 2002, Williams was hampered by an ankle
injury throughout the offseason and was eventually released on September 1, 2002. On September 3, 2002, Williams was re-signed to the Patriots practice squad before being released on October 22.
Because he was a member of the Patriots during their 2001 Super Bowl championship season, Williams received a championship ring, which he later famously pawned for $2,600 at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop that is now featured on the TV series Pawn Stars
and never picked it back up. Williams was offered $15,000 to sell the ring but declined. It is listed for sale at the pawn shop for $100,000.
practice squad. But after suffering a knee
injury, Williams was released from the practice squad on November 19. He was re-signed by the Raiders during the 2003 offseason. On August 28, 2003, Williams was once again released by the Raiders.
. In 2003, he played in 10 games for the Bears. Williams was released on August 26, 2004.
on October 20, 2004. He was waived on October 27. He was re-signed to the Raiders active roster on December 21, 2004. After spending the 2005 offseason, Williams was released at the end of training camp on August 29, 2005.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
.
Williams has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Williams was born on August 11, 1979 in Hammond, LouisianaHammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
. He was one of six children and his brother John played at Southern
Southern Jaguars
The Southern Jaguars represent Southern University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.-Conference affiliation:Southern University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football Championship...
. As a senior in 1996 he had 102 tackles and 15 pass deflections. He was named to the Super Southern 100 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a third team pick on the All-South team by Fox Sports South. The coaches in the Louisiana area also chose Williams as district MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
after he played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and returned kicks.
College career
Williams attended the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and majored in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. As a freshman in 1997, he played in eight games making 97 appearances on special teams. For the first time in his college career he played cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
. He broke into the starting lineup against Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
in week four and played in all 12 of the Irish's games. He had eight tackles against Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, six against Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
and seven against LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
. After not playing in 1999 as a junior, he was named the Irish's starting left cornerback in 2000. He led defenders in playing time during 2000 and played in all 13 games which included the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game against Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
. Williams made three tackles against Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
, eight tackles against Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
and had seven tackles against Stanford, a game in which he recorded his first sack.
New England Patriots
Williams was drafted by the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. As a rookie, Williams tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
after being active for only one game but not playing. In 2002, Williams was hampered by an ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
injury throughout the offseason and was eventually released on September 1, 2002. On September 3, 2002, Williams was re-signed to the Patriots practice squad before being released on October 22.
Because he was a member of the Patriots during their 2001 Super Bowl championship season, Williams received a championship ring, which he later famously pawned for $2,600 at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop that is now featured on the TV series Pawn Stars
Pawn Stars
Pawn Stars is an American reality television series on the History Channel, produced in Manhattan by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24-hour family business operated by patriarch Richard...
and never picked it back up. Williams was offered $15,000 to sell the ring but declined. It is listed for sale at the pawn shop for $100,000.
First stint with Raiders
On October 24, 2002, Williams was signed to the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad. But after suffering a knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury, Williams was released from the practice squad on November 19. He was re-signed by the Raiders during the 2003 offseason. On August 28, 2003, Williams was once again released by the Raiders.
Chicago Bears
Shortly after his release, Williams signed with the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In 2003, he played in 10 games for the Bears. Williams was released on August 26, 2004.
Second stint with Raiders
Williams was re-signed by the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 20, 2004. He was waived on October 27. He was re-signed to the Raiders active roster on December 21, 2004. After spending the 2005 offseason, Williams was released at the end of training camp on August 29, 2005.