David Williams (wide receiver)
Encyclopedia
David Williams is a former American football
wide receiver
. Williams was named consensus All-America
n twice at the University of Illinois
, and is an inducted member of the College Football Hall of Fame
.
Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005
.
Williams attended Serra High School
in Gardena, California
. Williams attended Los Angeles Harbor College
where he was a junior college All-American.
, Williams set many Illinois receiving records, and was a consensus two-time First-team All-American.
In Williams' first season, the 1983 Fighting Illini
finished the regular season with a record of 10-1, including a 9-0 mark in Big Ten
games. Williams caught 59 passes for 870 yards, with six touchdown
s. As Big Ten champions, the Fighting Illini played UCLA in the 1984 Rose Bowl. Williams caught 10 passes for 88 yards in a 45-9 loss.
In 1984, Williams led all NCAA
Division I receivers with 101 receptions, 1278 receiving yards, and 9.2 receptions per game. His 101 receptions made Williams the second player in NCAA history to have more than 100 receptions in a season. Williams was a consensus First-team All-American
Williams was again a consensus First-team All-American
in 1985. He caught 85 passes for 1047 yards and had eight touchdown receptions in the regular season. Illinois played Army
in the 1985 Peach Bowl, and Williams caught seven passes for 109 yards, including touchdown catches of 15 and 54 yards, although Illinois lost by the score of 31-29.
Williams finished his collegiate career as the second leading receiver in NCAA history. In 1990, Williams was named to Illinois' 25-man All-Century Team, chosen as part of the celebration of 100 years of Illinois football.
Note: the NCAA does not recognize postseason statistics prior to 2002 in the official records.
by the Chicago Bears
, with the 82nd overall selection. He has the rare distinction of being a 3rd round pick who was cut before the season started. Williams would play two seasons in the National Football League
, but would never be able to duplicate his collegiate success in the NFL. Williams played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in 1986
and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1987
, and would finish his NFL career with 10 catches for 195 yards.
. He played for the BC Lions
(1988 to 1989), the Toronto Argonauts
(1991 to 1992) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
(1993 to 1995). He won the CFL's Outstanding Player Award in 1988, and played in the classic 76th Grey Cup
game, scoring one touchdown.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. Williams was named consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n twice at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, and is an inducted member of the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005
2005 in sports
2005 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Bode Miller ** Women's overall season champion: Anja Pärson -American football:...
.
Williams attended Serra High School
Junípero Serra High School (Gardena, California)
Junípero Serra High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Gardena, California, a suburban city located 14 miles southwest from downtown Los Angeles. Honored as a State School of the Year, Serra is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.-Background:Junípero Serra High...
in Gardena, California
Gardena, California
Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
. Williams attended Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Harbor College is one of two community colleges serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles. LAHC serves mainly students from Harbor City, Carson, San Pedro, Gardena, Lomita, Wilmington and the Palos Verdes Peninsula....
where he was a junior college All-American.
Career at Illinois
Williams played at Illinois from 1983 to 1985. Under the prolific passing offense of coach Mike WhiteMike White (football coach)
Michael Kavanaugh White is former American football player and coach. He has 16 years experience as a head coach, including stints at the University of California, Berkeley , the University of Illinois and the Oakland Raiders of the NFL .-College coaching career:During his college coaching...
, Williams set many Illinois receiving records, and was a consensus two-time First-team All-American.
In Williams' first season, the 1983 Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
finished the regular season with a record of 10-1, including a 9-0 mark in Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
games. Williams caught 59 passes for 870 yards, with six touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. As Big Ten champions, the Fighting Illini played UCLA in the 1984 Rose Bowl. Williams caught 10 passes for 88 yards in a 45-9 loss.
In 1984, Williams led all NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I receivers with 101 receptions, 1278 receiving yards, and 9.2 receptions per game. His 101 receptions made Williams the second player in NCAA history to have more than 100 receptions in a season. Williams was a consensus First-team All-American
1984 College Football All-America Team
The 1984 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
Williams was again a consensus First-team All-American
1985 College Football All-America Team
The 1985 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
in 1985. He caught 85 passes for 1047 yards and had eight touchdown receptions in the regular season. Illinois played Army
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in the 1985 Peach Bowl, and Williams caught seven passes for 109 yards, including touchdown catches of 15 and 54 yards, although Illinois lost by the score of 31-29.
Williams finished his collegiate career as the second leading receiver in NCAA history. In 1990, Williams was named to Illinois' 25-man All-Century Team, chosen as part of the celebration of 100 years of Illinois football.
Trivia
- Williams is one of three brothers to have played wide receiver at Illinois (Steven William and...). Oliver
- Williams' position coach at Illinois was future NFL head coach Brad ChildressBrad ChildressBrad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
.
Awards and recognitions
- 1984 First Team All-American by the Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, UPI, American Football Coaches AssociationAmerican Football Coaches AssociationThe American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
, Football Writers Association of AmericaFootball Writers Association of AmericaThe Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
, the Walter Camp Foundation, the Sporting News, and Football News - 1985 First Team All-American by the Associated Press, UPI, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, the Walter Camp Foundation, and the Sporting News
- 1983 Second Team All-Big Ten by the AP and UPI
- 1984 First Team All-Big Ten by the AP and UPI
- 1985 First Team All-Big Ten by the AP and UPI
- 1984 Illinois Team MVPMost Valuable PlayerIn 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...
- 1985 Illinois Team MVP
Illinois records
As of 2005 Illinois Football Media Guide- Most receptions, one game: 16, vs PurduePurdue UniversityPurdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, October 12, 1985 - Most receptions, season: 101, 1984
- Most receptions, career: 262
- Most receiving yards, one game: 208, vs NorthwesternNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, September 1, 1984 - Most receiving yards, season: 1278, 1984
- Most receiving yards, career: 3392
- Most touchdown receptions, season: 10, 1985
- Most touchdown receptions, career: 24
- Most 100-receiving yard games, season: 6, 1984 & 1985 (shared with Brandon LloydBrandon LloydBrandon Matthew Lloyd is an American football wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
) - Most 100-receiving yard games, career: 16
- Most receptions, bowl game: 10, vs UCLA, 1984 Rose Bowl
NCAA Division I all-time rankings
As of 2005 NCAA Division I Football Record Book- Career receptions per game: 10th, 7.4
- Season receptions per game: 21st, 9.2, 1984
- Career receptions: 21st, 245
- Season receptions: 24th, 101, 1984
Note: the NCAA does not recognize postseason statistics prior to 2002 in the official records.
Illinois statistics
Including bowl games| Season | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | Yards/Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 61 | 958 | 6 | 15.7 |
| 1984 | 101 | 1278 | 8 | 12.7 |
| 1985 | 92 | 1156 | 10 | 12.6 |
| Total | 262 | 3392 | 24 | 12.9 |
National Football League
Williams was taken in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986...
by the 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...
, with the 82nd overall selection. He has the rare distinction of being a 3rd round pick who was cut before the season started. Williams would play two seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, but would never be able to duplicate his collegiate success in the NFL. Williams played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, and would finish his NFL career with 10 catches for 195 yards.
Canadian Football League
Williams played seven seasons in the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He played for the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
(1988 to 1989), the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
(1991 to 1992) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
(1993 to 1995). He won the CFL's Outstanding Player Award in 1988, and played in the classic 76th Grey Cup
76th Grey Cup
The 76th Grey Cup was the 1988 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, between the BC Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers defeated the favoured Lions 22-21...
game, scoring one touchdown.